We Are Wardens
by LadySerenade
Summary: "You only see what you were.You're not a Dalish and City elf, you're not an Aeducan and a Duster, and you are not the last Cousland and a Mage of the Circle Tower anymore. We are wardens, and the only hope left for Ferelden now." All 6 Origins conscripted
1. Prologue

**Previously a oneshot, but is now being expanded!  
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**disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age!**

**please read, enjoy, and review!**

**~LadySerenade**

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**We are Wardens**

**Prologue**

They all set up camp outside of Lothering. Tensions seemed high, but most just kept to themselves. The dark witch preferred to have her own fire and campsite a short distance from the rest of them, but no one bothered to argue about the safety of the idea with her. They all scattered loosely around the fire. It had been surprising that it was only the newest of recruits had survived the battle of Ostagar. Alistair and the Cousland girl had been sent to light the beacon, the little red headed city elf had been very ill after the joining and remained in the camp, the dalish was posted on the bridge as an archer, both of the dwarves were called to protect the tower from stragglers, and it was a mystery to them how the mage survived. Yet here they all were sitting together.

"Look at the stars! They are so beautiful! It's hard to see them at night from the Alienage," Kallian Tabris said as she stretched out in the grass.

"I suppose anything would be hard to see from that slave village of yours," Theron commented dryly and readjusted his bow over his shoulder. Kallian sat up.

"There is no slavery in Ferelden," she fired back.

"Is that so? What would you call being herded up like that by shems? Oh I forgot, it's your choice right?" He said and looked longingly towards the forest.

"You think your life is so better because you wander in the forest?" The fiery little woman spat.

"Never again shall we submit," The Dalish elf said like a well rehearsed prayer.

"I would never let a human break me."

"So that's your excuse for what happened to the Arl's son? Never letting a human break you?"

"If it was one of your clan mates you would have done the same," She accused.

"They never would have gotten the opportunity."

Kallian went and sat by the dwarf with the tattoo brand on his face. Theron didn't pay her any more attention and tried to relax. The dwarf handed her a small flask, which she took a couple sips from.

"I understand your situation salroka," he said and took the flask back.

"You would," scoffed Duran Aeducan.

"Well lookie here! I should be so honored that a royal Aeducan saw fit to talk to a casteless!"

"Watch your tongue scum."

"I heard about you Aeducan. Your name has been stricken from the memories."

"Is that supposed to sting? Your name was never even graced there," Duran said and the others made a note that he would never meet Faren Brosca's eyes. Daylen Amell laughed at them.

"What are you laughing at?" Duran asked him in disdain.

"It's just funny," Daylen started while lounging lazily. "It seems that all of us come from two very distinct walks of life. Those of us who are lesser in society and those of us who are more _privileged," _He said and made it a point to look right at the Cousland girl who was sitting behind Duran. She glared at him and stood up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked and stood close to him. He barely reacted to her proximity.

"We all know who you are blue blood. It was such a scandal when Duncan brought the little Cousland princess to be a Grey Warden. You've probably never had to lift a pretty little finger your entire life. What would you know of the struggles of the less fortunate," He said and rolled his eyes at her.

"I've worked and trained hard my entire life! And just how would you know of what struggles I may have experienced or not? My entire family was slaughtered for one man's greed! " She yelled. Daylen stood up and the two came face to face.

"Oooh well well well, you are not just a noble, but the last of the Couslands. How does hardship taste pretty lady?"

Elissa unsheathed her sword and Daylen backed up and held his hands up in a mock surrender. Feran pulled out his daggers, but in response to that Duran took up his warhammer. The two elves both just looked on in shock, and when the whole thing was about to come to blows in the small matter of seconds Alistair stepped between mage and noble.

"Stop! What is wrong with you? We just lost an entire army and the king of Ferelden and all of you are going to kill each other over petty grievances? I want you all to look at each other," He ordered. No one looked at anyone else. They all of the sudden seemed too preoccupied with the ground.

"Look at each other!" Alistair ordered again. The companions slowly looked up and at each other.

"You all see what you used to be. You're not a Dalish and City elf, you're not an Aeducan and a Duster, and you two are not the last Cousland and a Mage of the Circle Tower anymore. Now you are all Grey Warden's. It doesn't matter who you used to be or what you used to know. We are wardens now, and we have an army to assemble. We can't do that with all of you living in the past. I can't do this by myself, so forget our differences and learn that we are the only hope left for Ferelden now."


	2. The Fallen

**I have decided to expand this story and make it a full out fanfic. I was weary about doing another retell, so you will notice I am doing things in a kinda diff manner. The facts are changed, but there is still the general 'collect army, defeat blight' thing going on here. Just wanted it to be a new and different take. I hope you enjoy the way things go in this story, and if I don't get enough support I will just go back to the oneshot that it used to be. **

**I like to be interactive, so if you have any suggestions, and they are good, I will be happy to consider putting it into the story! PM me or review!**

**Thanks everyone and now enjoy!**

**read*review**

**~LadySerenade**

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**We Are Wardens**

**Chapter 1: The Fallen**

It was cold outside, with the fog of the early morning dancing in the grasses. All was quiet as the sun peeked up over the horizon, and the first beams of light played on her features. The little elf turned over trying to hold onto a few more moments of sleep. The others had not yet risen, but Theron watched her. Last night things had gotten heated between the camp, and it all started by this little creature commenting on the stars.

She didn't look like much. She was slight and pale, with flaming red hair that was cropped short like a man's. She wore a black headband during the day that she was protective of because it had been her mothers. Theron always considered himself an observer, but her story interested him more than the others did. She was of his kind after all. She had the pointed elven features, but hers were softer somehow. She looked so delicate when she slept, but he knew she was a hellion. It was curious to him how city elves lived. Most sold themselves to humans, became thieves, and some became useless whores. It made him disdainful towards his city kin.

Her eyes quietly fluttered open and it took her a moment to react to the Dalish's proximity to her, and his lingering gaze. She shot up and pulled her blankets around her. Those golden eyes seemed to light on fire, and Theron did nothing more but laugh and shoulder his bow.

"Sleep well?" He asked.

"Just fine," She said and got up to stretch. She kept looking back at the strange man that had watched her sleep. He was tall for an elf, but had a lean archer's body. His face seem permanently sullen, but it was covered with glorious tattoos that covered his bald head, and faded down into his neck. He noticed that she was now watching him too.

"Vallaslin," He said to her.

"Excuse me?" Kallian asked.

"The tattoos, they are called vallaslin. They are blood writings in honor of the elven gods."

This surely piqued Kallian's interest and she went over to him and examined them more closely when he allowed her to.

"They're beautiful, do all Dalish have them?" She asked him.

"They are a coming of age tradition. I suppose the city elves would know little of such things."

"Most think that you don't even exist. They see little beyond the walls of the alienage," She explained to Theron.

"Naturally," The other elf said and looked to the others. They were all still sleeping, obviously not early risers. He was not used to people like this. In his clan the children would already be up and playing around the aravels, the hunters would be getting ready for their first outings of the day, and Paivel would be sitting by the fire watching the sunrise. His heart ached for his people.

"Listen about last night," Kallian started.

"Do not bother. We are not friends, flat-ear. We are simply companions and we have a job to do. I would suggest that we have as little contact as possible."

Kallian stared at him slack jawed for a moment, and swallowed the urge to slap this man in the face. To think that she used to dream of the wandering folk, and think how glorious they would be to behold. There was nothing glorious about this elf besides his ability to be detached.

She turned from him and started packing up her things for the day when they heard it. There was a terrible howling noise, followed by screaming and the unmistakable stink of darkspawn. The howl had awoken the Cousland girl, whom Kallian noted with disdain sat up and still looked like a perfect beauty when startled out of a dead sleep. Her pale blond hair tugged free from her braid, and her wide blue eyes looked bright even at this hour. The elf fingered her own unruly hair self consciously.

"What was that?" Elissa asked and threw off her bedding.

"A darkspawn attack," Theron said and stabbed into the ground with a pocket knife of elaborate design. He put his ear to it as the women stood stock-still in silence.

"Not far, we should be prepared."

The scream pierced the air again, this time it was unmistakably feminine, and eminently closer than last time. Theron was the only one who was fully armed, so he took off running towards the noise. Kallian, not one to be left behind grabbed her daggers and took off after him in only her night clothes and boots. Elissa grabbed sword and shield and followed suit. The others had awakened at the commotion and she yelled back to them.

"Darkspawn! Prepare!"

She ran through the woods, trying to keep an eye out for the two elves. The dalish was impossibly fast and fluid, but she was able to gain on the red head. They came to a clearing to see a woman fall dead with the rest of the group of refugees she had been travelling with. The darkspawn turned on the new comers and already the two elves were attacking the fiends.

Kallian was quick, and she relied on being able to out maneuver the simple minded beasts. Theron was fast with his bow, and had a clear strong shot. He watched the noble as she threw her shield into the back of a genlocks head. She was all curves and roundness, everything that said she was a fair maiden, so her prowess on the battle field shocked both him and the little rogue. By the time the others arrived, all armored and ready, they found the fighting was over.

"We should have been able to sense them sooner," Elissa panted, trying in vain to clean the blood off her hands on her blood stained tunic. "We could have been killed."

"You mean like them?" Kallian said and used the toe of her boot to flip over a small child. Elissa looked away out of modesty but the city elf seemed unfazed by the dead child. She started going through the dead persons belongings.

"Have you no respect for the dead?" Elissa cried and pulled the little woman up to a standing position.

"Just being practical or do you want to leave these coins for the darkspawn? I mean sure they could use a new wardrobe, but I thought you would be on our side," Kallian said and yanked free of the other woman's hold on her. Faren Brosca started looting bodies as well a few feet away.

"Scared of blood princess?" Daylen said and laughed at the squeamish look on Elissa's face.

"It's a dog!" Faren cried as they heard a feral growl and the beast snapped at the Duster. Elissa's eyes widened and she ran over and hugged the dog to her. This made all the others look at her in confusion as they all expected the dog to attack her at any moment. Instead it licked her face.

"I'm so glad your okay girl!" She cried out.

"That thing is a girl?" Faren asked.

"This thing is a pure-blood mabari! Her name is Cammi," Elissa said and gave the dog a good scratching.

"I'm going to take her back to camp and clean her up," Elissa said and made the walk back with Duran and Alistair in tow.

When they arrived Morrigan sat by her fire and looked up at their approach.

"So it would seem I missed the fighting. Such a shame. And it seems you have acquired a dog. Does that mean we can get rid of Alistair?" She asked and laughed maniacally. The ex templar just glared at the witch of the wilds.

"Where were you anyways?" Elissa asked her.

"Scouting," Was her simple reply. "We might want to pass up Lothering."

"Why would that be?" Alistair asked her in a huff. They were clearly going to get on great.

"Are you a fool? We were just attacked by darkspawn right outside the city limits. Use your imagination," She said and shouldered her pack.

"Lothering has fallen? So soon?" Elissa asked in shock.

"And more will if we sit here and mourn everything the darkspawn swallow," The witch said while banking her fire and doing the best to pretend the rest of them did not exist.

The rest of the morning was spent with packing up the campsite and discreetly not talking to each other. Morrigan relayed the news that Lothering had fallen, and they all agreed to silently march around the city.

**((O))**

They marched until they reached the Imperial Highway. There appeared to be a rather large mad sleeping on the wall next to the road. He had white hair that was pulled back in braids, and he looked fearsome even in his unconscious state.

"What do you suppose he is?" Kallian asked.

"Tis a Qunari," Morrigan said to the surprise of the entire group. Most of them, if not all, had never heard of such a creature. He seemed to be a giant, and the closer they got the more weary they grew. All except Cammi, who ran up to the man and began licking his face. That's when they noticed he was not sleeping, he had an arrow deep between his ribs, and he fell to the left when the dog made contact with him.

Kallian ran ahead of the group, much to their protest and kneeled next to the creature. She put delicate hands to his side and probed where the arrow was. Theron though, noticed something was not right. He noticed a second too late that the giant had opened his eyes.

"Kallian move!" The dalish shouted but it was too late.

The qunari grabbed the little elf by the throat, and stood easily with her in hand. He then spun around and pinned her high against the wall. The impact mad a loud thudding noise against her leathers and her tiny hands grabbed at his wrist. The others ran to her and trained weapons on the giant.

"Let her go!" Alistair called and moved closer than the others.

It was Cammi however that got the beast to drop Kallian. She jumped up and sunk her teeth into the golden skin of his elbow and practically tore his arm away from the girl. She fell to the ground in a heap, and Alistair went to her to check that she was still alive. She waved him off at the approach though and turned to the qunari.

"Why'd you do that for? I was just trying to help you!"

The man said nothing, rather just kneeled on the road and hung his head, putting his hand to the wound in his side. Kallian noticed that he had to be bleeding out and needed immediate attention. She approached the man again, but this time slower.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm going to help alright?"

"There is no help for me," The man said in a low and rumbling voice. "Especially from more refugees from that accursed place."

"We are not refugees, we are Grey Wardens," She said and gently moved his hands away from the wound.

"Wardens?"

"Yes, my name is Kallian."

"Sten," the man whispered in pain.

"Rest now Sten, I will take care of you."


	3. Saviors

**So guys, thank you soo much to all who supported this story and got it off the ground and for all the reviews you have given it! I hope you continue to enjoy my work!**

**read*review**

**~LadySerenade**

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Chapter 2: Saviors  
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"I didn't know you knew any healing," Daylen said to the elf.

"Well I don't know any magic, but it was something I picked up in the alienage. Elves get sick a lot," She said with a charming smile.

Daylen readjusted his robes and kneeled next to her checking on the qunari. He had a bad infection, and the arrow had narrowly missed his heart. He was no healer himself, but he offered what little he did know. He was more of a battle mage, and specialized in the macabre. He had shoulder length pin straight black hair, which he almost always wore down. His eyes were a disturbing pale green color, but the one on his right had an abnormality. The right side of it was black, blending in with the pupil. Kallian could not help but stare when she noticed it.

"Spell gone wrong," He told her while keeping his hands busy making a poultice.

"Sorry, I really need to learn to stop staring," Kallian said in apology.

"Don't think on it. The thing is hard to miss I guess. I'm half blind in that eye."

"Sorry," She said again.

"No more saying sorry young lady!" Daylen said and laughed.

The group had to make camp next to the imperial highway when Kallian decided she wanted to help the giant, and by now the sun was already starting to set. She barely noticed that they had wasted the day away. She looked down at Sten. _Well not wasted exactly_, she thought to herself.

The others were setting up camp all around, and it was still so oddly silent among them. She noticed how everyone seemed to pair offin a sense. Elissa, Alistair, and Duran were all huddled over a map, no doubt planning where they should go next. Theron was seated high up on the wall, and she could not tell if he was sleeping, or keeping watch. The witch of the wilds was once again nowhere to be seen, and Faren sat close to her and Daylen.

He was not very bulky for a dwarf, as Duran was. He had a sallow coloring to his skin, and his features were sunken. She could tell that his body could use more nutrition. She had seen people like him all the time back home. Sometimes life was just hard. He had a full grizzly head of auburn hair, and a wild beard that he tried to tame into dual braids. What everyone saw when they looked at him however was the brand on his face. She did not know what it meant, but he seemed ashamed of it.

She looked at the other dwarf and noticed how greatly they contrasted each other. Duran was full and proud looking. His blonde locks were pulled back in a short ponytail, and his beard had an elaborate braided design that she found interesting. The nose was stubborn, but he had a full mouth and eyes that were cool as steel. Very different they were indeed.

"So what's your story elf? How did you come to be in the wardens?" Daylen asked pulling her attention back to the task at hand. He was putting the poultice over the wound on the qunari and was busy covering it with bandages.

"I was conscripted just like everybody else." She said and helped Daylen pull Sten into a sitting position. He was a lot heavier than she anticipated.

"Well aren't you sassy! I mean how? That other elf mentioned something about the Arl of Denerim?"

"I'm surprised you did not hear what I did to him," She admitted.

"Life in the Circle Tower was not one of news from outside, and considering I was the last one recruited I missed the tale and gossip of the others."

"I killed him for raping my cousin and killing my fiancé."

Daylen looked at her in shock, and was not sure whether or not she was being completely honest with him. The dark look in her eyes told him that she was. It was strange to see her callous attitude about such a travesty. He would not have been able to put it so bluntly himself.

"I'm sorry for your loss, did you love him very much?" He asked.

"I had only just met him, it was an arranged marriage. But when I looked in his eyes I saw a lifetime of love there. I could have loved him very much," She said and trailed off.

"How about you?" She asked looking to the mage.

"I tried to escape the Tower with my friend."

"And you didn't make it," She said knowingly.

"He did, and with his phylactery destroyed he will always be free."

"What's a phylactery?"

"Well erm…" They both turned to see Alistair standing there. "It's a vial of blood the Chantry used to keep track of the mages. As long as there is a phylactery the mage can be…well…hunted."

"That's horrible!" Kallian said in shock.

"Yes yes, the Chantry does horrible things. Anyways I was thinking it might be a good time to decide what our next move will be," Alistair said. All of the companions looked to him.

"Why are you all staring at me?" He asked.

"Well you are the senior Grey Warden," Daylen pointed out. No one missed the smirk on the mage's face however.

"Well _I _don't know what to do!" Alistair cried in a panic.

"What are our options?" Theron asked appearing behind the group, and made more than one of them jump.

"There are three groups in these treaties of ours," Elissa started and took charge. "The dwarves of Orzammar, the Circle of Magi, and the Dalish elves. Also it might be a good idea to seek the aid of the Arl of Redcliff. He was not at Ostagar and still has all his men, as well as being an influential man at court. People would listen to him if he started telling of the Grey Warden's innocent. We could use an ally like him."

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed back into Orzammar," Faren said which got a short laugh out of Duran.

"As I recall neither are you," The Duster spat, making the other man stop short.

"And I cannot say I am eager to return to the Tower," Daylen supplied.

"My suggestion is that we first go to Redcliff and try and gather some news. We're going into this half blind since we got nothing out of Lothering besides the injured giant man," Elissa said and gestured towards Sten who seemed to slowly be stirring.

"So you are to lead us?" Theron asked in challenge.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Elissa asked and stood her ground.

"Maybe I would rather be led by someone a little more sure of themselves," The elf said and stepped to her. He might have been an inch shorter than her, but his demeanor made him seem larger.

"Why don't you take first watch elf?" Duran said and pushed Theron back slightly.

"Get your hands off me _dwarf_!"

"I said take a walk!" The dwarf hollered at the dalish.

Theron glared, and everyone waited to see what he would do, but alas he did nothing. He laughed shortly and walked off to take first watch. The rest took a collective sigh of relief that there was not another explosion like a couple nights ago.

**((O))**

It was early yet, before sunrise, but Sten was wide awake. He stood and rolled his shoulders testing the flexibility there. His side bothered him little and he put his shirt back on and looked around at the others. They were all still sleeping, but he didn't recognize any of them beside the little red headed elf. She was the one that had saved his life, he was sure of it.

Just then a man with black hair came back into camp and greeted him.

"I see you are doing well, do you mind if I check your bandages?" He asked.

"If you must," Sten replied not liking the look of this man. He saw the staff attached to his back. He was a mage.

"I suspect the others will be up soon, I had last watch. My name is Daylen by the way," The mage said and gently lifted the qunari's bandages after Sten once again removed his shirt. The mages eyes grew large as he beheld the wound, which was noticeable healed.

"You have a remarkable recovery rate! This is simply amazing! You must heal at triple the rate of a normal human; now tell me how much pain do you feel?" The mage asked all in a hurry.

"This is why we cut mages tongues out in Seheron." Was the dangerous reply.

"I…well…" Daylen was flabbergasted.

"Goooood morning Sten!" Kallian said as she got up out of her bed. "And how are we feeling today?"

"Fit to fight," The qunari said to her.

"So you will be joining us then? How wonderful! What's wrong with you?" She asked the still slack jawed mage.

"Nothing, nothing," He said and went to wake the others.

They marched in awkward silences until they reached Redcliff by nightfall. Something was not right however. The farms seemed abandoned, and they could see no signs of people for miles. The lights in the household were not lit. When Theron pulled out his bow, the others followed his example and readied their weapons, wondering if it was possible that Redcliff too had fallen.

When they reached past the first sheer cliffs of red clay, they descended until the village opened out in front of them. Their view was accosted by a swarm of bodies. It was hard to tell from this vantage point who was fighting who, but the more important question on their minds was why. They noticed there were many trying to get into the small village chantry.

A terrible growling type noise was heard from behind them, and they all turned to look at what appeared to have the visage of a man. In the night it was hard to tell what he looked like. Elissa slowly approached the man.

"Are you alright?" She asked and stepped close to him.

The man attacked her, and she reacted quickly running him through with her sword without giving it a second thought. It fell easily enough, and upon impact with the ground its head easily broke free from its body and rolled to the feet of the dalish elf. Theron picked it up and examined its ghoulish features.

"Walking corpses," He said. "I have seen foes like this before in some ancient ruins."

They all turned back to the village and came to the same realization; Redcliff would be doomed without their help.

"Another battle I see," Morrigan said as they all brought their weapons to the ready to go and defeat the horde of undead.


	4. Hearing News

**So first off, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! Anyways Just another huge thank you to all who love this story and give me the motivation to write it! I meant to post this chapter as soon as I wrote it, but then I wrote the next one after this and got myself confused and this part almost got lost in the shuffle. I am silly!**

**read*review**

**~ Much Love, LadySerenade**

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Chapter 3: Hearing News  
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The dawn light brought about the creatures hasty retreat. The sunrise had truly never looked more glorious to any of them. Elissa fell to her knees in exhaustion, as did Kallian. They had fought valiantly throughout the night to try and protect the village. A man with brownish hair, a single braid tucked behind his ear, came forward and addressed Alastair.

"Your arrival might have saved us all Alistair," The man said and clapped the warden on the shoulder. The companion's eyes all watched the duo.

"You know him?" Elissa panted.

"Of course he knows me," The man said. "Alistair was born here after all."

At that little comment Alistair looked like he had a lot more to add, but he closed his mouth. Obviously there was something more to that story.

"I did not think you remembered me Bann Teagan," Alistair admitted.

"I recognized you," The man now labeled as Teagan said. He went to Elissa and helped her to her feet. She leaned heavily upon him for a moment.

"Elissa Cousland, interesting to see you here. Last I saw you was on Summersday quite a few years back in Highever. You were still a young lady then," Teagan said and helped the other noble to stand up straight.

"I remember it well Bann Teagan. I suspect you had no grey in your hair back then," She said and touched the first hints of grey at the Bann's temples.

"How is your father dear girl?" Teagan asked her.

"You have not yet heard?" Elissa asked as a purely dark look settled on her pretty features.

"I take it I won't enjoy this news," He replied.

"My honored father is dead, along with the entirety of my family. I am the sole survivor" Elissa said and her voice broke on the last.

"How?"

"Arl Howe has shown his true colors at last."

"So it seems Loghain is not the only traitor nestled deep in Ferelden's courts," Teagan said in disgust.

"Wait, you don't believe his lies then?" Alistair asked in surprise.

"The old man despises Orlais so much that he is a blinded fool. Anora will only be his puppet," Teagan told Alistair. He then looked around at the rest of the group.

"So these are the last Wardens?" He asked.

"Yes sorry, perhaps introductions are in order. This is Kallian Tabris," Alistair said and helped the little woman to her feet as well. "Theron Mahariel, Daylen Amell, Faren Brosca, and Duran Aeducan. The other two are just… supporters of the cause."

"So few survived?" Teagan asked.

"It gets worse. We are also all the youngest members of the order," Elissa said gesturing around. "We need Eamon's help desperately. And these undead attacks, how long have they been happening?"

"It seems I have bad news to bear as well, but let us go into the Chantry. Half of you look dead on your feet."

They all followed Bann Teagan into the Chantry, and took some food that the sisters had prepared. It was tasteless and questionable, but none of them were about to complain. Those who felt they did not have to speak with Teagan retired to get a few hours rest. The only ones who stayed awake were Elissa and Alistair.

"What is this news?" Alistair asked.

"I haven't heard word from the castle in a couple days, but I think I should warn you that Eamon might not be in any position to help you." Teagan told them.

"Surely he can't be loyal to Loghain?" Elissa asked.

"No, he absolutely would be appalled if he knew what was happening."

"_If_?"

"Eamon has been poisoned. We have tried everything to pull him out of the sickness but nothing seems to be working. We can't get contact with the Circle Tower, but the mages on hand say they do not think they can help. He grows sicker by the day. I came to the village to tell Eamon's knights to seek out the Urn of Sacred ashes," Teagan explained to Elissa and Alistair.

"That is a fool's errand Teagan. You are too smart to play that card," Elissa accused.

"It is indeed not my plan, but we have been pulling at straws. Lady Isolde cannot be persuaded that there is any other way but the Urn."

"How do the undead play into all of this?" Elissa asked.

"I don't rightly know yet," Teagan admitted. "They showed up last night, scared the life out of the people. We were so ill prepared for such an attack that if you lot had not shown up surely more of us would lie slain. I'm not sure yet how they are connected to any of our previous troubles."

"Can you send word to the castle? Will Lady Isolde receive us?" Alistair asked.

"I will send a runner, for now we should all rest at least for a short while."

"Thank you Bann Teagan," Elissa said as Bann Teagan stood and took her by the hand.

"The beautiful Lady's gratitude warms my heart," He said and kissed her hand, helping her gently from her seat.

"Charmer," She accused and laughed.

"On the contrary, it is you who have charmed me."

Elissa was left with the others, and Alastair too, to try and get a few hours of rest. Most of them slept solid as rock out of exhaustion, but Kallian tossed and turned lost in a world of nightmares. The horrible dragon roared into the ghoulishly green sky above. She started to sweat and thrash on her pallet. It awoke Theron first ,who was a hopelessly light sleeper, but when a horrible scream tore from the elf's throat, she awoke all the others. One of the Chantry Sister's ran into the room, obviously expecting them to be under some sort of attack.

Kallian screamed again and the Sister ran to her and shook her awake. Her golden eyes opened, pupils completely dilated. When she noticed what was going on she sat up to look at the faces of her companions. Some looked to her in concern, but a few looked irritated at her. The elf shook off the Sister and ran from the Chantry.

Their pathetic couple of hours of sleep did little to help the moods of the companions. They were still exhausted, but work needed to be done. Rest would be found later, when they knew more on Eamon's condition. Elissa and Alistair led the rest of the group back out into the Chantry proper. They emerged upon Bann Teagan yelling at another man.

"What do you mean you cannot contact the castle? What did they turn you away?"

"No milord, there was no answer at all. No one was outside, and the gate was locked."

"The servants entrances?"

"Forgive me milord, but what use would those be if I can't get in the front gate?"

"Be gone!" Teagan ordered and the group watched the runner flee from the Bann's presence. The Bann looked tired and haggard far beyond his years.

"Teagan?" Elissa asked and approached him.

"Apparently there is no word from the castle. Closing it off makes no sense. Perhaps they did it to protect themselves from the undead, but then there still would be word."

"What are we going to do?"

"Follow me," Teagan said and led them back outside. Once they were there Faren noticed Kallian sitting by the Chanter's Board drawing pictures in the dirt.

The dwarf went over to her and handed her his flask. She took a couple sips and gave it back to him, accepting his proffered hand to help her back to her feet. He smiled reassuringly at her.

"I saw it too," He whispered to her, and led her back to the group, that now seemed to be heading for the windmill.

Once they were there Bann Teagan opened the door and ushered them all inside.

"What is the purpose of this?" Sten asked, speaking for the first time in a long time, and the first time in front of the entire group.

"My signet ring will open up a secret passage to the castle. We have to find out what is going on in there," Teagan told the rest of the group.

Sten simply turned and walked out of the windmill.

"Where are you going?" Elissa called after him.

"You do not need a whole unit of people to check on the status of a sick man," The qunari replied and shut the door behind him.

"Maybe someone should stay with him."

"Faren and I will," Kallian told them.

"I will as well," Morrigan said to the surprise of the companions. The three of them left after Sten.

"Well that's one way to thin out an entourage," Teagan said and cracked a smile.

"Let's just get to Eamon," Alistair interjected.

Teagan cleared some hay off a door none of them had previously noticed. He removed a black signet ring off of his middle finger and inserted it into a slot by the handle. The door clicked and the Bann opened it easily enough. He took Elissa's hand and helped her onto the stairs.

"After you milady."

They emerged downstairs in a small room, and Teagan's ring opened the door that was here too. These tunnels were very convenient. The room led to the dungeons, and they walked down the rows of empty cells until they reached the last one. Inside it sat a sallow looking little man, with his hair all hanging in his face. He seemed to be crying.

"Who is this man Bann Teagan?" Elissa demanded to know.

"The rat that poisoned Eamon," Teagan spat with contempt.

The man looked up, and his eyes seemed to widen in what looked to be recognition. He stood and grabbed at the bars.

"Daylen?" He called out in disbelief.

The other mage, who had previously not been paying attention, stepped forward. So the look in the poisoner's eye had been recognition.

"Oh Jowan, what have you done?"


	5. Blood Mages and Demons

**Drop me a review!**

**~LadySerenade**

**

* * *

Chapter 4: Blood Mages and Demons  
**

"I have done horrible things my friend," Jowan admitted.

"You are friends with this man?" Teagan asked in outrage.

"You lied to me Jowan, back at the Tower you lied when you said you knew nothing of Blood Magic," Daylen said completely ignoring the Bann.

"A blood mage?" Alistair was the one outraged this time.

"I know I'm sorry I lied to you and Lily. My poor sweet Lily, I can only imagine what they did to her because of me," The man said and started to cry again.

"I demand to know what is going on here" Teagan said.

"We know each other, he is the reason I was conscripted," Daylen admitted looking back to his old friend. This did not seem to satisfy the Bann however.

"So you are a Blood Mage as well?"

"No!" Both mages cried in unison.

"I'm no Blood Mage! You must believe me!" Daylen cried in a panic. No one but Jowan seemed ready to jump to his defense. He looked at Elissa, who looked at her boots, and at Theron and Duran, who were both doing the same. Even Alistair was looking at something else to hold his gaze.

"I'm a Grey Warden now, even if I were a Blood Mage you couldn't touch me!"

"Blood Magic is punishable by death," Teagan threatened.

"But I'm not a Blood Mage!"

"He isn't ser I swear it!" Jowan said.

"And why should I believe the words of the man who poisoned my brother? And the attack last night? No doubt revenge for being caught!"

"I had nothing to do with what happened last night! Lady Isolde thought the same but I did not!" Jowan said trying to plea his innocence.

"The castle, did you lead the monsters here too?" Teagan said stepping to the cell. The mage shrank back at the pure anger of the Bann.

"They were here, but I assure you it was not I who led them here. Perhaps the boy…"

"What boy?" Elissa asked.

"Surely you don't mean Connor?" Teagan asked.

"He may have found some way to—"

"To do what?"

"Connor began to show signs of magic, but Lady Isolde did not want anyone to know. So she hired me to tutor him."

"A mage outside of the circle," Alistair said knowingly.

"Yes, he was a quick learner, but those untrained in magic can sometimes become prone to Fade Spirits," Jowan said.

"We need to get inside and find out what's going on, leave them here for now," Teagan ordered.

"Excuse me, them? Leave _them_ here? You're going to leave me in a dungeon?" Daylen said becoming hysterical.

"Bind him," Teagan told the others.

Alistair and Duran hesitantly approached the mage, but they followed their orders. Daylen thought of fighting back, but knew he was outnumbered. He let them put him in the cell with Jowan. When the others moved on Theron hung back for a moment, waiting till the others were out of earshot.

"The shem lord is just angry. I will not let them leave you here, and truly they cannot. Blood magic is not forbidden within the wardens. I will make sure we come back for you" Theron told Daylen.

"Really?" The mage asked in complete surprise.

"Don't flatter yourself, I only do this because you're the best cook in camp," The dalish said and ran off to join the others.

Both mages sat down in the cell.

"So here we are together again!"

"Shut up Jowan."

**((O))**

Upstairs they found dead servants everywhere, and more walking corpses left from the attack. They were quickly dispatched, but it was troubling to see that the attacks had such a far reach. Within the group of them left, everybody seemed on edge, and Elissa could not ignore the ice cold glares of the Dalish elf. She just kept picturing how easy it would be to make her death look like an accident. One second he was shooting at the corpses, and the next his arrow took a more untrue path and buried itself in her neck.

Teagan unlocked the doors to the main hall, but at his request they entered silently as mice. They stood at the back of the hall, looking at the backs of a woman and child on the far end. The woman seemed to be hunched over crying, and it took a moment to realize they were standing over the bodies of dead knights.

"Please I beg you, stop this madness," The woman said in her broken pretty Orlesian accent.

"Oh but the duels were so fun mother!" The boy said, but his voice was thick and demonic.

"You did not have to kill them, please stop this!" She begged again. The boy threw his mother to the ground, where she lay crying. That's when he turned and saw the Warden's and the Bann.

"Look mother, more have come to play, and they bring uncle with them!"

Without warning the Bann unsheathed his sword and attacked Duran. The suits of armor from the next hall stormed in, forcing a confrontation. The whole while the demon child squealed with excitement, and Lady Isolde seemed to be praying to the Maker. When Duran pulled out his warhammer things flew into a panic.

"Don't kill him!" Elissa screamed.

"What am I supposed to do?" The dwarf roared and used the handle of his hammer to block the sword, which got stuck in the thick wood. Duran disarmed the Bann and used the blunt end of his weapon to knock the man unconscious. "Never mind!"

The wardens fought against the armor until they all fell in a heap. Theron however grew heated, and after they fell went after the boy. The boy tried to dance out of the elf's grasp, but Theron was lightening fast. He grabbed the boy by the wrist. However he was knocked back by some kind of force field and the boy fled deeper into the castle.

"Don't hurt him!" Lady Isolde cried and tried to grab the elf, who easily out maneuvered him and ran after the boy.

"Theron stop!" Elissa ordered. The elf hesitated for a moment.

"The child is responsible, so the child must die."

"He is a little kid!" Alistair said in disbelief at the elf's callous nature.

"Whom is possessed by a demon," Theron pointed out.

"Everybody just calm down!" Elissa ordered.

Teagan moaned on his spot from the floor, bringing attention back to him. Elissa kneeled next to him to check his injuries, which was only the large knot forming on the side of his head. The bleeding was slight and she knew he would be okay. Isolde too, rushed to the Bann's side.

"Teagan I am so sorry," She said weeping.

"I am going after the child," Theron said again and made to leave.

"Please do not hurt my son! He is not himself!" Isolde cried, and this time did manage to get a hold of the elf. She grasped him by the shoulders, but broke down crying into his chest. Theron pushed her gently back an arm's length away.

"I will bring him back here, perhaps we can drive the demon out," He said, trying to get the woman to stop crying.

"I don't think it works like that," Elissa stated, cradling Teagan in her lap.

"Maybe if you had not let the shem lord imprison the only one of us who is educated in this matter, we would know what to do," Theron said. He did not raise his voice, but the anger was saturated in those words.

"Are you challenging my authority?" She demanded to know.

"I am challenging your intellect."

"How dare you!" Elissa said raising her voice. The Bann squeezed his eyes shut tighter, putting his hands on both sides of his head and sat up.

"What is going on here?" He asked.

"I am going after the child, I suggest you retrieve the mages so we can fix this whole mess," Theron said and finally succeeded in storming off.

**((O))**

They actually did as they were told and went and retrieved Jowan and Daylen from the dungeons. The warden mage would not look at his companions except in disgust, and refused to put forth any of his extensive knowledge on demons. He feigned ignorance instead, out of anger.

Jowan told them however of the ways to drive out the demon. It seems either way you had to enter the Fade. The correct way would be to go to the Circle of Magi and collect lyrium and mages to use some kind of ritual, the other way was blood magic, and someone would have to sacrifice their life.

"Connor will not lay dormant forever. Tonight he will attack the village again, and more will die. I will sacrifice my life to save my sons," She told the group.

They all looked to Teagan to see what he would say. He was quiet for a good while before he looked back to them.

"There seems to be no other way," He said.

"No, there had to be. I mean we already have mages here and—" Elissa started to say but was silenced by the Bann.

"Your friend will not help after the way I treated him in my rage," He stated .

"Even if Daylen did help, we don't have the necessary amounts of lyrium here," Jowan chimed in. There was a terrible roaring noise above them, followed by e horrific scream.

"Connor!" Isolde said horrified and ran from the hall, the others all on her heals. Daylen seemed to run faster than the others and appeared on the scene first.

Theron was sitting on his knees, cradling the boy. The elf's face was completely devoid, and he rocked back in forth in what appeared to be madness. The child was covered in blood; the small knife still plunged into his temple.

"No!" Isolde screamed and ran forth, pulling her son into her own arms. She screamed out in agony, and fell to the ground with him.

"Not my baby! Not my darling son!" She cried.

Theron had not moved an inch, had not reacted to the others gawking at him. Daylen went to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Theron let's go," He said and tried to break through to the elf. He would not move, would not react. He was stuck in some trance like state.

"Theron let's go!" Daylen said and hauled the man to his feet. He made him walk back to the stairwell, passing by the rest of them.

"You killed him!" Elissa cried as they passed by. "You said you were going to bring him back to us and you killed him!"

"Another word Cousland and I go back to camp and tell the others that you had me locked in a dungeon. Do you think they will be so quick to trust you then?" Daylen said and dragged Theron down the stairs in stunned silence.

They all stood there and watched the mother crying hysterically over her dead son. How could there ever be unity after this?

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**I'm sensing a fight brewing, how about you? MUHUHAHAHHA! Much Love guys! - LS**


	6. Regress

**WELL WELL! It seems I have caused a controversy! Feel free to love me or hate me for that last chapter, but it made you feel something and to me that's good writing!  
**

**I love writing this! All these personalities and characters are so much fun!  
**

**Thank you so much for reading my story and for those of you that love it thank you more! I hope to keep writing something that makes you guys think, react, and enjoy!**

**Read*review**

**~Much Love, LadySerenade**

**

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Chapter 5: Regress  
**

Daylen came back to the camp, Theron dragging with him. The others all looked at the duo in alarm and Kallian ran to them.

"Theron are you alright?" She said and tired to look in his face.

"He's alright Kalli," Daylen said and walked Theron to the far side of the camp and set him down. The elf just sat there and stared into the flames.

The mage went back to the others, with Kallian looking not happy with the vague wave off of her inquiries.

"What happened to him?" She hissed.

"More corpses in the castle, he just took a nasty hit. He just needs some rest," Daylen lied.

"Alright," Kallian said looking skeptical. "I will mix up a tonic."

When she went to the other side of the fire, Faren joined her. He handed the elf his flask, which made her look to him in confusion.

"What's this for?"

"The lad doesn't need medicine, give him this. Will calm the nerves," Faren explained. She took the flask and walked to the other side of the fire where Theron was sitting with the dead look on his face. She felt frightened for him even though they were not supposed to be friends. She pressed the silver flask into his hands. He did not look at her, downed its contents, coughing, but keeping it down. He handed the flask back to her and continued to stare into the flames. Kallian went back to the mage who was fiddling with the sleeves of his robes.

"He didn't just take a hit did he?" She asked him.

"It'll be dark soon, why don't you take first watch Kalli," The mage replied once again ignoring her inquiries. She pouted, but stormed off and grabbed her daggers to get ready for her watch.

**((O))**

Teagan, Elissa, Alistair, Duran, and Isolde all stood around the Arl's bed. It took a couple hours to pull the Arlessa away from her son, but there were other things that had to be worried about now. The only thing in the back of Elissa's mind however was what Daylen had said to her. She knew that she shouldn't have left him in the dungeons but everything happened so quickly. Things were going to fall apart unless they could all find some way to fix this.

"You should seek out the Urn," Isolde said quietly.

"What would this accomplish?" Elissa asked.

"It is said to have curative properties, perhaps if you leave with the knights to find it, there will be a better chance of success. Please do this for me. I have already lost my son, please don't tell me that I am going to lose my husband as well," She said and started crying again. The poor woman could not keep it together.

"We should go," Alistair told Elissa. When they had been giving Isolde her privacy to mourn earlier, he had admitted to Duran and Elissa that he was raised in Redcliff castle. His mother had been a serving girl, and Eamon raised him as his own, until Isolde thought the whole ordeal to be a scandal. Then it was off to the Chantry for him, where he trained to be a Templar.

"You think it's best to seek out the Urn then?" Elissa asked him.

"We will seek it out Lady Isolde, you have my word," Alistair said promising this to her. The Arlessa kissed him on the cheek and left the room.

Bann Teagan just stood vigil over his brother, but Elissa could see the exhaustion in the other man. She went to him and put a hand on his shoulder, which the Bann covered with one of his own hands. She did not want him to feel alone in this struggle. She too had recently lost family. Her whole family in fact, and she knew that she would do anything if it meant she could bring them back. She understood more than any of the others did, and she thought of Howe with a stab of pain right to her heart.

"You should get some rest Teagan. Staying in here does nothing for Eamon's sake, and nothing for your own," She told him. He turned to Elissa and kissed her on the cheek.

"I fear the knights might already have left, but if you leave early tomorrow morning you can catch them on their way to Denerim," He told her.

"Why are they going to Denerim?"

"There are whispers that the scholar Genitivi may have information on the Urn," Teagan explained.

"We will leave in the morning then," She said and watched the Bann leave Eamon's room. She turned to Alistair who was watching over Eamon, and Duran who was respectively keeping his distance.

"I suspect they all have left us, but we should at least try and get back to camp," She told him.

"Oh yes, I am looking forward to that!" Alistair said, heavy on the sarcasm.

**((O))**

The three of them came back to camp just as it turned dark. They were surprised that everyone was still there. Sten stood on the outskirts of camp with Cammi, Morrigan too kept her distance, but Daylen, Faren, and Theron were all on the far side of the fire. Theron still had the blank look on his face, but Elissa could tell even from here that the man had been drinking heavily.

Alistair started peeling off his armor as the other two did the same, to get ready for the night. They were exhausted, and had only slept about three hours early this morning. It had been a trying day. Duran immediately went to sleep, but Elissa stayed up a little while longer to tend to her gear.

"I'm surprised they haven't left," Alistair said sitting next to Elissa to sharpen his sword.

"I am as well," She admitted and started sharpening her own.

"Do you think they will?"

"Leave?"

"Yeah."

"I don't rightly know. I suspect they will stay at least for a time, but I will be damned if they don't fight me every step of the way. One more incident like the one at the castle and they will be gone," Elissa said.

Kallian came back into camp then and Sten relieved her for guard. She went over to check on the other elf, who did not react to her. She looked to Daylen who would not return the heated gaze, and then to Faren, who shook his head sadly. She smelled Theron's breath.

"Maker's ass, the man is drunk," She said and turned that gaze back to Faren. The dwarf just stood and stretched, making to clean up from dinner. He picked up a bowl that Kallian promptly slapped out of his hands.

"How much did he drink?" She asked the dwarf.

"Enough to make even the most surly Duster proud!" He said and laughed, bending to pick up the bowl that had been knocked from his hands.

"Are you mad? Something bad happened to that man, and you let him drown himself in alcohol? That won't solve anything!" She said following him around the fire as he cleaned.

"It always works for me," Faren said.

"There is something someone isn't telling me here."

"Then get to the bottom of it," the Duster said and pointed to where Elissa and Alastair sat sharpening their weapons and talking quietly amongst themselves.

The little elf turned crimson in anger, matching that flaming hair of hers and stalked across camp with a determined strut. She stood before the two humans staring them down. Neither of them looked up at her approach.

"What happened in Redcliff castle?" Kallian asked Elissa. The noble didn't answer, just went on sharpening her sword. Alistair too, ignored the elf.

"I know you guys are lying, so I will ask you again, what happened in Redcliff castle?"

They still did not answer.

"All that talk of unity then was pointless? Just something you said to get us all to shut up? Tell me what happened in the castle!"

"Ask the child murderer!" Elissa screamed looking pointedly at Theron.

"Ask the oppressor!" Daylen yelled back in challenge.

"What are you talking about?" Kallian asked.

"At least I didn't murder an innocent child!" Elissa accused.

"No, just locked a fellow Grey Warden in a dungeon!"

Theron for the first time since his return snapped out of his trance. The look in his eyes chilled Kallian to the bone, as he stood and stared across the fire at them. They all went dead silent.

"I killed no child. I killed a demon," He said in a menacing tone.

"He was still a child, _elf, _and your knife was in his temple!"

"You have no idea what I did!" Theron roared with a ferocity none of them had seen from the Dalish before. It stunned even Elissa into silence. "I fought no child! When I chased after him a Desire Demon appeared and attacked me! Not a boy, a demon! I had to fight. When I drove my knife into a temple, it was a demon's. It was not the boy! It wasn't the boy…it wasn't the child…not a child…" He said on the last with a broken and desolate voice. There were tears in the man's eyes. He sank to his knees, face in his hands. The poor creatures shoulder's shook.

"He was just trying to save his father," He sobbed out. "It wasn't supposed to be the child."

"What have you done?" Kallian cried out to Elissa, and then ran to Theron, sinking to her knees as well and placing her arms around his shoulders.

"They placed me in a dungeon for knowing a blood mage. Might I remind you that Blood Magic is not illegal within the Wardens. You had no right! You based your decision off of one man's anger! The Bann had ever right to be angry at Jowan. At _Jowan!_ Not at me! You betrayed me," The mage spat. Morrigan was quietly listening to the whole conversation and decided to now make herself known.

"See how quickly they turn on a mage when they think it is dangerous," She said with a hint of laughter in her voice. The comment was made for Daylen, but she made sure the rest of the group heard it as well.

"I am dangerous," Daylen said. "Don't you think I would be the wrong sort to anger?"

"It seems I have made a mistake," Elissa whispered. Theron looked up incredulously.

"A mistake?" He said standing and shaking the other elf off of him. His walk was slightly unsteady from all Faren's brandy he had been drinking.

"Oh you made a mistake alright. You were swooning so much over the shem lord's charm you let him make all your choices for you. Why don't you be a good little noble girl and marry the man. Leave the real work to us," Theron said stepping to her. Elissa stood up, and everyone waited for the tongue of hers to challenge him. But she did not. She did nothing in fact, and as the tears welled up in her eyes she simply walked away. Sten returned shortly after Elissa left, apparently having been relieved of his watch. Cammi trotted happily behind him, and ran into camp to scarf up the last little scraps from the evening meal. Everyone was silent and unmoving except the giant and the mabari.

Sten looked to Kallian. "Is there something I missed?"


	7. A Day in Denerim

**As always thank you guys for all the support for this story! I write it because of you!**

**Hope you enjoy this eclectic chapter!**

**Read*Review**

**~Much Love, LadySerenade**

**

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Chapter 6: A Day in Denerim  
**

And so they marched to Denerim. It was so painfully silent that Kallian thought she would go mad. She would not let them break her spirits though, for soon she would get to see Shianni again, and it made the march worth it. She just needed the comforting words of someone she knew, without a shadow of doubt in her mind, that she could trust.

She looked around at the others as they walked on. Elissa looked the worst, with bloodshot eyes and dark circles underneath them. Kallian still wanted to slap her for almost being able to pass such a look off as demure. _Damn pretty noble girls,_ she thought to herself.

Morrigan was flying above them in another form. Theron lagged severely behind the rest of them, and Kallian half expected every time she turned around for him no longer to be there. Alistair was leading, along with Duran, and Faren and Daylen walked somewhere in the middle. Sten and Cammi were next to her.

"Oh!" Kallian cried seeing the city gate in the distance. "I spy with my eye, something that begins with the letter G!" She said trying to break everyone's heavy silence.

"The gates," Sten responded.

"You are good at this!"

When they got to the city, they went to the market district and split into the oddest little groups, each having their own business they seemed to want to handle.

**Duran**

Duran walked along the vendors, looking idly at things, but not really seeing them. There was nothing really that a market like this could offer him. He walked passed a surly looking mage and heard a voice he thought sounded familiar.

"Dwarven crafts! Fine dwarven crafts!" The voice called out. Duran turned and could not believe what he saw. He approached slowly.

"Dwarven crafts! Fine—" The man stooped short seeing Duran's approach.

"By the stone! My lord Aeducan!"

Duran waved him off. "I am an Aeducan no longer."

"So what are you now old friend?" Gorim said laughing, and embraced Duran, slapping him heartily on the back.

"Just a Grey Warden now Gorim. And you?"

"Doing well for myself. Married a good woman whose father is a fine smith, I sell his wares here in the Market. Have a little one on the way as well," Gorim said beaming.

"You seem happy friend."

"It's not the glory of the old days, but yes I am happy."

"Could you imagine if the deshrys could see us now?" Duran joked.

"They would certainly say we have fallen far from grace."

"Far indeed," Duran said reflectively.

"Surely life amongst the wardens isn't so bad," Gorim mused.

"I am pretty sure it is the definition of bad."

"Yes I heard what happened in Ostagar."

"Do you hear much news from Orzammar?" Duran asked, trying not to remember Ostagar.

"No not much. Let me take you for a drink pal, for old times sake," Gorim said trying to lift Duran's spirits, and led him to the _Gnawed Noble_.

**Daylen and Morrigan**

Daylen held the door open for Morrigan as they entered the _Wonder's of Thedas_. Right away the witch of the wilds looked uncomfortable being here, but she in a sense was humoring the mage of the circle. They looked lazily at the books lining the walls when they entered.

"It was a Mind Blast backfire was it not?" Morrigan asked nodding her head towards Daylen's bad eye. He laughed and touched it.

"It surely was. An apprentice in some room close to me accidently set herself on fire, let out a most horrific scream, broke my concentration, and now I am half blind. Oh the tragedy," Daylen said and pulled a volume of Glyph's and Hexes.

"What of the apprentice I wonder," Morrigan said.

"I am the injured party here!" Daylen cried a little too loudly, making people stare. He faked a swoon and fell into the bookshelf making quite a ruckus.

"Do you enjoy making a fool of yourself?" Morrigan asked and walked away from him to browse amongst staffs.

"Very much so" said Daylen following her. He stood in front of her and nodded to the proprietor. "She became one of them."

"Became what?" Morrigan snapped. "A bald man selling trinkets?"

Daylen laughed at this. "No no no, she became a Tranquil."

"Such a perfectly barbaric idea, and I grew up surrounded by the chasind."

"But they do it for our own good! Don't you believe magic is dangerous?" Daylen said in perfectly sarcastic tones.

"Of course magic is dangerous, but so are swords, yet they don't remove a fool hardy warrior's hands," Morrigan pointed out.

"You know you would be much easier to get along with if _you _had been made Tranquil," Daylen said joking with the witch. He leaned against the proprietor's counter and laughed at his own cleverness before Morrigan gave him the death glare and promptly swept out of the shop.

"I'm going to tame her," Daylen said to the Tranquil stationed there. Then he stood back upright and watched her throw open the door, scaring two young women.

"Morrigan wait I was only joking!" He called and went after her.

**Theron**

Theron did not know why, but he wandered over to the Chantry. He went over and sat on a well that was in the front courtyard, staring down into its black depths. He did not hear the old woman approach, but she stood by him, trying to get a look at his face.

"Are you seeking peace?" She asked him. He looked up startled, but that look changed to menacing in a moment when he saw her robes.

"I have nothing to say to you shem," He said and went back to looking down the well.

"You are not from the alienage are you?" She asked, and sat in the grass next to the well.

"No."

"Yes I can tell. I can also see that you struggle deeply."

When Theron said nothing to her she went on.

"Turn to the Maker in times of trouble and he will grant you peace," She told him.

"I don't believe in the Maker," Theron replied.

"That's alright child."

They sat quietly like that for quite awhile. The priestess just sat there, with a smile on her face, waiting for when he would be ready. Theron looked at her and wanted to kill her. How could she be so happy with a world like this? Nothing but death and deceivers. How could she be at peace?"

"Tell me priestess, tell me something true."

"What is it you wish to know?" She asked simply.

"Does this Maker forgive you for things that you have done. Bad things? I don't mean simple everyday wrong doings, not things of our very nature, but truly evil things?"

She sat and thought about it. She smiled up at him.

"Of course he does," She told him.

"Of course" Theron scoffed.

"The Maker forgives all, we are usually the ones who can't forgive ourselves," The woman said and stood up. As she walked away Theron stopped her.

"Aren't you doing this wrong? Shouldn't you be preaching the Chant at me and assembling an exalted march?" He asked with a bitter laugh.

"For one elf? I am an old woman, and if all my years in the Chantry ever taught me one thing it's this; people will always believe only what they want to believe. I was never any good at being a priestess," She said and laughed, going back to a couple of the other Sisters.

**Kallian and Faren**

Kallian and Faren made their way across the Market, but Kallian's expression became clouded as they approached the bridge to the alienage. It was closed and guarded in the middle of the day. The only time she had ever seen it this way was at nights, past the elven curfew. The man who stood guard was one of the garrison's men. One of the ones who was there the day she was conscripted.

"You should not be here she-elf," The man warned.

"Why is the gate shut?" She asked, ignoring that look on his face.

"By order of the new Arl of Denerim Rendon Howe."

"No I mean for what reason?"

"Take your pick, riots or plague."

"I have to get in there," Kallian said and stepped towards the gate. The guard cut her off.

"No one goes in and no one comes out."

"What about them?" Faren asked gesturing towards a group of elves sitting in the gutters a few feet away.

"Been locked out by accident, but the order stands. This gate doesn't open."

"Shianni!" Kallian yelled past the guard.

"Oi, miss! You will be stopping that. You also might not wanna make yourself known around here. A lot of people still angry at the knife ear that killed the Arl's son."

"The old Arl," She corrected him.

"Same difference, now get lost."

"And what makes you think a closed gate will keep me from getting in there?" She asked.

"Don't make me put a set of eyes on you," The guard warned. Faren could see his companion getting angry, so he pulled her away from the guard. As they walked past a couple of the elves who had been locked out, a young pretty and tan one ran up to Kallian.

"Kallian!"

"Nessa!" Kallian said and embraced the other elf.

"Are things really so bad in the alienage?"

"Worse then you could imagine. First it was the riots when shems got word of what happened to the Arl's son. Queen Anora cracked down on us something fierce, then plague broke out."

"Elves get sick a lot," they said together.

"And Shianni?" Kallian inquired.

"Nothing breaks your cousin! You know that. I fear Soris got himself arrested though."

"How?"

"When you left we had about a night of peace, then things went right awful. We all did crazy things. I feel bad for Valora, heavy with Soris's child."

"Is there any way I can get word to Shianni?"

"I have survived this long by performing certain _favors _for Sergeant Remmy."

"A crooked guard?"

"Yeah, but don't let Kylon catch wind. Always trying to spoil the fun that one."

"Nessa! Remmy?"

"Oh right, well I am sure he can get a message in the alienage, he owes me."

"And what will I owe you?"

"Nothing, consider it payback for what you did for my family awhile back."

"Thanks Ness."

**Sten**

Sten pounded on the door to the scholar's home. The rest of them might dally and so forth, but he would find out what they had suffered the march to find out. When no one answered the door, Sten kicked it in and took it upon his liberties to enter.

Once inside, it showed signs of a battle. One of the knights, bearing Redcliff heraldry, lie dead on the ground. He was felled by magic, which made Sten disdainful. The mage who had killed him was dead however, an arrow straight through his throat. In the back room lay another dead body, disgusting and rotting, lying under a sheet.

There was a field journal lying next to the bed, which Sten took. Along with it came a map, with only one location written in. It was a village, tiny and almost double back the way they came, deep in the Frostback Mountains. _Haven._

"Such pointlessness," Sten said to himself and took the items with him.

**Elissa and Alistair**

"Cammi where are you going?" Elissa cried and watched her hound run off into the market.

"He'll come back," Alistair noted as they walked past the Chantry. They reached a small row of houses and Alistair came to a halt in front of one of them.

"Listen can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked Elissa.

"Of course,"

"Well while we are here in the city, I was hoping we could…visit someone," He said nervously.

"A friend outside the warden's Alastair?" She teased him.

"Well… remember when I told you my mother was a serving girl in Redcliff castle?"

"I recall."

"Well she had another child. A daughter, and I think she lives here," Alistair said and motioned to the house they were standing in front of.

"She'd be your sister then?"

"Yes I believe so. I—" He stopped short and stared at something over her shoulder. Elissa turned to see Cammi dragging a boy by his shirttails over to them.

"Maker's breath where did you get that?"

Cammi just barked and wagged her nub of a tail.

"Puppy!" The boy said and clapped his hands.

Elissa walked to him and pushed his hair out of his face. "Are you simple boy?" She asked.

His eyes looked wide as he noticed her sword. "Will you teach me how to use a sword?" He asked her.

Elissa's mind flashed back to that day in Highever. _Oren ran around the room, pretending to thrash his foes. She entered and laughed at his valor, swooping him up and turning him in circles. Oren looked at her sword, purely decorative back then._

"_Will you teach me how to use a sword Auntie?"_

"Elissa!" Alistair yelled and broke through her memories. She noticed she was holding the boy tightly by the shoulder, and he looked up at her in fear.

"Oh," She said dumbly. "Run along child."

Cammi whined, but grabbed the boy again and took him back to wherever it was that he came from. Alastair looked to Elissa in concern. She waved him off, assuring him that she was just fine, and they went into his sister's house.

"Hello?" Elissa called into the house.

"Oi, you have linens to wash? Best prices in town, won't find no cheaper, and don't trust that Natalia woman, she'll rob you blind."

"We're not here for linens ma'am," Elissa said politely. "Go on Alistair."

"Right. My name is Alistair, you are Goldanna right? I'm your…" He stopped short until Elissa elbowed him in the ribs. "Your brother."

"My what? I am Goldanna, yes... how do you know my name? What kind of tomfoolery are you folk up to?"

"Our mother was a serving girl in Redcliff castle and—"

"Oh yes I know you, royal bastard. You killed mother you did!"

"Royal?" Elissa couldn't help but let it slip from her tongue.

"Didn't tell you did he? He is what ya get when a king rapes a serving girl. Don't look like much, you a drunk now boy?"

"I'm a Grey Warden," He said, but already sounded defeated.

"Ooohhh, I see. A prince and a Grey Warden, too. Well, who am I to think poorly of someone so high and mighty compared to me?"

"I..I don't know what to say."

"Can't say anything! I sit here and starve so your five little nieces and nephews can eat. What have you ever done for me?"

"Well Alistair, is she everything you thought she would be. Forget about ones who forget about you," Elissa said and spat on her way out of the house. Alistair followed her out and trailed her as she made her way across the market. The rest of the group seemed to be meeting outside the _Gnawed Noble_.

When he finally caught up to her he spun her to face him.

"How could you not tell me?"

"You never asked?" He said innocently, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's a cheap answer."

The others started to gather around the pair.

"This changes everything Alistair. You're the heir to the throne."

"What?" Kallian cried, and instantly all eyes were on Alistair.

"What? No, no! I certainly never wanted this."

"It doesn't matter! We now have a legitimate claim to the throne, more so than even Eamon's. More so than Anora's!" Elissa cried.

"See this is why I didn't want to tell you! I knew I would get treated different. Even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it."

"Alistair you might not like it, but we all have to make sacrifices. This could unite Ferelden. Don't you love your country?"

Sten joined the fray of the group then, and thrust a book and map into Alistair's hands.

"The house was only full of dead bodies, but this has been left."

"Let us go heal Eamon, he will decide what to do," Elissa said.

"Let another shem lord make your choices?" Theron said and laughed.

"Say what you will, but Eamon still has his armies. We could use an ally like that," Faren pointed out. So it was decided they would follow the map and seek out the Urn.

* * *

**So whose little adventure did you guys like best? Drop a review! (:**


	8. The Cult of Andraste

**You guys get some yummy surprises this chapter!**

**Read*Review**

**~LadySerenade**

**

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Chapter 7: The Cult of Andraste  
**

"This doesn't make any sense," Alistair said crouching in the snow, looking out into the village. They had made the long awkward march all the way to Haven, to find it completely abandoned. No guards posted, and no footprints in the fresh snow. They did not understand why Genitivi would lead them to an abandoned village.

"Someone finally admits this is pointless. How will this damage the archdemon?" Sten said, making Alistair merely flinch at the much larger man's approach. Kallian grabbed Sten's arm and turned him to face her.

"This is necessary, you're just going to have to trust us," the elf told the qunari.

"I trust you, not them."

"Hey, why only her?" Alistair asked sounding completely whiney.

"She saved my life, you led us on the search for ancient dirt."

"Ashes," Elissa corrected. "We are searching for ashes."

"The only thing we are doing up here is freezing," Theron said. They all got awkwardly silent when he addressed the group, still not used to the elf speaking. A few feet away Daylen tripped and fell forward into the snow.

"Graceful," Faren said and roared into his snorty laughter. The mage glared at him and felt around a bit in the snow.

"I tripped over—" He grunted and hefted something up out of the snow. It was the torso of a man. Daylen promptly dropped it and stood up in alarm.

"Maker's breath," Elissa whispered.

"More over here," Duran called and lifted a woman up out of the snow.

"So the villagers are dead," Alistair stated.

"Who would massacre an entire village?"

"It must have been the knights." Theron stated. Elissa still had not the courage to look at the man, but she would argue with such a serious accusation.

"Why would the knights murder innocents? That isn't logical."

"Since when are shems logical?" Theron asked with a smirk that savored of bitterness.

"Maybe the knights have not even made it here yet," Alistair said, trying to be the optimist.

"Oh, they're here alright," Kallian said, holding up a Redcliff shield.

"Maybe the villagers attacked the knights?" Alistair put forward.

"They would have to be mad as feral mabaris to want to fight fully armed knights," Daylen told them.

"Check the houses," Alistair ordered. "Look for survivors."

They all went off to the different houses to look for survivors like they were instructed. Kallian picked the lock to one like it was second nature and entered. There were low embers in the hearth, so it made things hard to see. She threw the door wide to let in the light from outside, and only saw blood smears upon the floor. They were old and dried, she realized as she bent to touch them. All was quiet within the house, but she heard a small scuffle of feet. Her hand went to her daggers, but they were missing. She turned and saw a little boy holding her dagger. When he saw he had been found out he stabbed it into Kallian's thigh. She screamed at the pain and the boy ran.

"Go after him!" She yelled to the others, and struggled to pull the dagger from her leg. The others went after the boy, but Sten came to her and helped with her leg.

They followed the boy up the steep incline, past more houses, and up to a large building at the top of the crest. It looked to be a chantry, and the boy threw the doors open wide and quickly disappeared within. The group entered with caution not seeing the boy anywhere.

The scene in the chantry proved even more that it seems the knights had attacked the people of the village. There were more dead knights, a dead mage, and dead civilians that were crudely armed. The idea stuck in their heads that the villagers would have had to have been completely mad to attack the knights.

There was a small room off to the right that they all looked into. A pallet lay on the floor, half covered in old and fresh blood. There was also another of Genitivi's field journals lying on the floor. The pages were torn and charred, making it illegible, except for the scholar's name etched into the leather of the cover.

"The knights wouldn't kill him," Elissa stated.

"Maybe they did not," Morrigan stated. "I do not see a body."

"Here," Duran said and handed a scrap of half marred paper to Elissa.

"It's part of the journal. It says 'So it is true, the Urn is just beyond the turn in the mountain, in the ruined temple. I am so close yet.' That's all it says. The rest was burned off."

"Then let us get to this temple," Came a voice from behind them. They turned to see Sten carrying Kallian to them.

"Are you alright Kalli?" Daylen asked, and helped support her when Sten set her on her feet again.

"I'll be fine," She said, and the rest could not tell if it was a bluff.

"Can you even make the trip?" She was asked.

She hobbled back into the main hall of the chantry and plucked the staff from the dead mage, using it to lean her weight upon.

"I have a walking stick, I shall be fine."

**((O))**

They found the temple much as they had found the village, abandoned and full of dead bodies. They picked their way among them, becoming more puzzled. Things still were not adding up, and the freezing weather was making the companions irritable.

They kept moving forwards though, not quite knowing what to expect. The temple was enormous, and had many hallways, but it eventually led to a series of tunnel like passage ways that were cut into the mountain. Inside them they found more dead bodies, and strangely enough, dead drakes.

"Dragons?" Daylen asked in shock and bent to run a tentative hand over the smooth scales.

"Do you see the pattern?" Duran mused. "These men were more heavily armed than the villagers, and it seemed that the dragons are facing the same way as them."

"What is the significance of that?" The mage asked.

"They were fighting together. They are protecting something," The dwarf said.

"Then it surely proves that the Urn is here," Elissa said in hope.

"All this death to protect something to heal a sick man? There is something more here," Duran told the others, placing even more suspicions in their heads.

They all trudged onwards, until they reached a fork in the path. They now saw the first signs of life from these tunnels. Up ahead there was a woman, crouched low and silent, watching a group of men up ahead. She had a bow strapped to her back, as well as dual curved swords. Her red hair was cropped short, and she turned at their approach, holding her finger to her mouth as if they should all remain silent. She walked to them.

"You arrived at a most opportune moment," The woman said. She had a voice painted with an Orlesian accent, and eyes that burned to tell a story.

"You better start talking, why did you kill all those villagers?" Alistair asked the red head.

"Ah, I suppose it would seem that way," She mused and let out a pretty little musical laugh.

"What's going on here?"

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Lelianna. I was in Denerim when I heard what had happened to the Arl. The knights let me assist them, and things led us here to Haven. As for the bodies, I assure you they attacked us."

"Why would unarmed villagers readily attack a group of fully armed men and women?" Daylen asked her in disbelief.

"They are a cult," Lelianna said. The rest of them just looked at her with mixed expressions and quirked brows.

"They are the cult of Andraste, and they believe the great prophet has returned."

"That's madness!" Elissa exclaimed.

"These mountains hold secrets," Lelianna explained. "There is a high dragon, that they say is the Lady returned. These poor men are disillusioned."

"And those guys?" Duran said and pointed out to the men that were in the room beyond.

"The man is Kolgrim, their leader. I faced him unprepared, and the knights are all dead. He is strong and drinks the blood of the dragonlings. I underestimated him once," She explained. Her face was troubled at the loss of so many to this man.

"If what you say is true, than this man must die," Alistair said, and no one argued with him. They put their weapons to the ready, and all went to face him, except Kallian, who sat a safe distance away.

Kolgrim turned at their approach. "To arms men! The harlot returns! Let them never look upon the glory of the arisen Andraste!"

There was an explosion of activity then. The two cultist mages ran to the high ground, and Kolgrim went after Lelianna. She was quick, but she would have been quickly overwhelmed had Duran and Sten not attacked the cult leader. He tried to out maneuver them when it became clear, that his time they would lose the battle. He spotted Kallian across the way and made to run for her.

She stood to run, but had not the time nor the means to make it very far before he was upon her. He swung his greatsword, and she had enough sense to duck underneath it. He swung again, this time coming much closer to running her through. The only thing she had handy was the staff, so she hoisted it above her head and cracked it over Kolgrim's own head. He staggered backward and fell onto Sten's sword.

"Well that was close," She breathed in relief.

They all gathered their composure again and looked to Lelianna.

"We should press on, the Urn is just past the dragon's lair. I heard them talking about it amongst themselves." She said and made her way over to the door.

"Dragon's lair?" Alistair said, noticeably swallowing a lump in his throat.

"I suggest we remain very quiet." She said and opened the door.

They all came out onto the mountain side, but quickly realized being quiet would not really be an option. It wasn't just a regular dragon that they were dealing with, it was a high dragon. Its hind end was to them, and they all stopped short in fear of making themselves known. Theron could see the doors across the way that must have led to where the ashes were.

"What now?" He whispered to the others.

Cammi, ever the one to always set things in motion started growling when she saw the dragon. She barked madly when the thing lifted it's great head and ran to the beast.

"Cammi no!" Elissa screamed and chased after the dog.

All the noise made the dragon turn and notice the group. It flapped its great wings, knocking Elissa down with the gusts of wind it caused. The dragon hovered in the air for a moment and landed heavily, front leg crushing Elissa beneath it.

The rest of them sprang into action, knowing now that they would have to face this dragon if there was any hope of getting to the Urn, or surviving in general for that matter. Those with the heaviest arms went straight to the dragon's underbelly to do as much damage as they could. Theron and Lelianna shot for its face, trying to distract it from crushing any more of them. Kallian sat at the entrance of the temple in defeat, watching her companions go to war against the dragon. She knew she would only get in the way.

For a brief moment the dragon became incased in ice, frozen in a roar. Morrigan had done her work to keep the beast still, and Alistair took the opportunity to drag Elissa to safety. He drug her over to Kallian, and made it there just as the ice began to groan, and the beast came back as if rising from the dead.

Kallian looked down at the noble, and it did not look good. Her armor was hopelessly crushed into her chest, and blood spilled out from her mouth. She did not appear to be breathing, so Kallian did her best to remove her armor, when Alistair made to help her, she slapped his hand away.

"Go to the dragon!" She yelled and did her best to push him away. He reluctantly did as he was told and went back with his fellow Grey Wardens to bring down the dragon.

The little elf removed Elissa's breast plate with much difficulty to find that things only seemed much worse underneath. Her chest was sunken in, and he shoulder was grossly out of place. She felt a pulse there, but the other woman's heart was racing, and her breathes were short and quick. Kallian knew she was dying.

When the battle was over the others gathered around Elissa and Kallian.

"Is her chest supposed to look that way?" Faren asked.

"I think her lungs are collapsing. Broken ribs too, with a broken collar bone as well, and perhaps a crushed sternum," Daylen said, kneeling down to survey the damage.

"Can you fix her?"

"No. I am not a healer, and even if I was it would take a great deal to mend all this. Something only an elder mage would be able to perform."

"What about the Urn?" Kallian asked, looking at him with a broken expression.

"I wouldn't know how to use the ashes even if they could fix her."

"Then we should ease her suffering," Sten said, standing over her. The others had not the courage or heart to tell him he was wrong. Looking down at the broken woman, Daylen could tell she was in a great deal of pain, she had too much brokenness.

"No," Theron said. They all looked to him, but he only watched Elissa's face.

"What do you mean no? She is going to die regardless," Daylen told him.

"Can you keep her alive until they retrieve the ashes?" Theron asked. They were all thinking it. Had the elf gone mad?

"I…I could try, but it will only prolong her suffering. We have no idea if the ashes can even heal her." Daylen tried explaining to Theron.

"Keep her alive," The dalish said. He then looked to Alistair. "Go to the Urn."

"I will go," Alistair said and immediately went towards those looming doors across the way.

"I will go with him," Lelianna said and followed after him. When they were out of earshot Daylen turned to the elf.

"Are you crazy? If this is about making her suffer than—"

"We should take her back down the mountain, the elevation here must be hard for her," Theron said.

"Theron!"

"Look at her," Theron said, tears coming to his eyes. Daylen looked down at the girl. She was beautiful, but wickedly pale. He saw it then however. Theron wasn't seeing her beauty, he was seeing how incredibly young she looked like this. She couldn't have been much older than eighteen.

"I hate her as much as you," The elf said. He then told the others to make a stretcher to carry her body away. He then turned back to the mage, stepping close to him to whisper.

"But she's just a kid Daylen."

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**DUNDUNDUN! Will she live? Muhuhahah I shall always be evil! Also sorry if the action scenes are suckish guys, I stink at writing them! **


	9. The Storm

**Read*Review**

**Much Love, LadySerenade**

**

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Chapter 8" The Storm  
**

The inn was named _Andraste's Favor, _and was tucked into the side of the mountain, almost invisible from the road. It had seen hard times, and in recent years had seen very little people at all. The occasional traveler from Orlais would stop there, and sometimes a surface dwarf or two. The proprietor, Mavus, had not seen so many visitors at once in a long time. They were a curious company. Elves, dwarves, giants, a mage, and a half dead girl. He had not the healer they requested, and they were going to move on fast, but a vicious Frostback blizzard tore through the mountains, keeping them locked inside.

He put the others in rooms upstairs, but the dying girl was put in a room right next to the bar. Mavus often went in and checked on the mage and the girl, but the situation never changed. The only thing that seemed to be happening was the mage failing in his strength. The proprietor would give him food and brandy in hopes that it would keep him going, but he couldn't be sure.

"Daylen?" Kallian said quietly, entering the room after Mavus left.

"How is she doing?"

The mage sighed and rubbed sweat from his brow. He had pulled his hair back off his face and rolled his sleeves up, but it did little to cool him down.

"I don't know. I have found a way from keeping her lungs from collapsing, but I don't know how much longer her heart can labor like this, let alone how much longer I can hold out. I cannot even take a rest for fear that it will kill her."

"You need to worry about yourself too," Kallian said worried.

"Theron was right Kalli, she's just a kid. The youngest of us is going to be the first to die."

Kallian watched as the mage's hands hovered over Elissa's chest and torso. She still looked sunken in, but her body was noticeably getting oxygen. Her face was still a sickly bluish pale.

"I guess I never pictured any of us dying," Kallian admitted.

"Especially not one of the important ones," Daylen said and laughed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Look at me Kall, who would miss me? I have no family, no friends. She's important, and you have your family, and Theron has his clan. What would I return to after all this is said and done? I just figured I was the least important one."

"Don't be an idiot!" Kallian said outraged and sat next to him to help him get a sip of his brandy. "You're keeping this girl alive, you're smarter than all of us combined, and you're a damn good fighter. At least you're not little like me. You command attention."

"How do you do it?" Daylen asked.

"How do I do what?"

"Keep us all together. I feel like you're the only one that believes in every single one of us."

"I do," She said simply and left Daylen to his business healing the noble girl.

Mavus watched as the little elf came hobbling back into the common room and sat next to the giant near the fire. They were comical next to each other. He made her appear the size of a child next to him. The old man watched as they conversed with one another. Well mostly the elf did the talking and the giant would grunt an answer once in awhile. His face made it seem like she was torturing him, and she just would laugh and ask him more questions. It warmed his heart to see life in this place again, even so strange of lives as these.

**((O))**

"So more pilgrims come to these halls," A tall armed figure said. "I am the Guardian of this place, so tell me pilgrims, why have you come?"

Lelianna and Alistair had run to the temple to retrieve the ashes. The templar knew that every moment wasted not only was Eamon closer to dying, but Elissa now was too.

"We need the ashes to heal a sick man and a dying girl," Alistair put forward.

"You will have to face the Gauntlet, and if you are worthy, you may approach the Urn."

"What if we're not worthy?"

"Then this place may very well claim your lives. Now tell me something," The guardian said turning to Lelianna.

"What is it you wish to know?"

"You long ago said you had a vision from the Maker, yet it is known that the Maker only spoke to Andraste. Do you consider yourself her equal?"

"How do you know of this? I…"

"Was it that you believed your life would turn away from its previous excitement once you joined the Chantry? You liked the attention this vision gave you. It made you special again," The Guardian told her.

"I know what I saw," She stated holding her ground. She seemed reluctant to say more, so the Guardian turned towards Alistair.

"You are one of the last of your order here in this country. You lost many that day, but one burns in your mind. Should you have done more to save Duncan? Do you believe you should have died at his side?"

"Yes, I should have been there with him in the end."

"That is all I wanted to know," The Guardian said and let them past.

The two of them moved into a large cavernous room in silence. Lelianna seemed put out by what the Guardian had said, and Alistair struggled with the answer he gave. But they had a mission to do and had to keep pressing forwards.

The hall seemed to be filled with spirits, but they did not move. They stood in two neatly drawn rows on either side of the room. They approached one at random.

"The smallest lark can carry it, but a strong man might not. Of what do I speak?" A woman asked. Alistair and Lelianna looked at each other in confusion.

"Is this…a riddle?" Alistair asked.

"I think so," Lelianna said.

"Well what can a small bird carry that a man cannot?"

Lelianna clapped her hands in acknowledgement. "It is a common saying among the bards. A tune," She said to the spirit who smiled back at her.

"Yes. I was Andraste's dearest friend in childhood, and always we would sing, She celebrated the beauty of life, and all who heard her would be filled with joy. They say The Maker himself was moved by Andraste's song, and then she sang no more of simple things." Then the spirit vanished towards the doors on the other end of the hall.

"We will have to riddle our way across the hall it seems," Lelianna said.

**((O))**

Faren had been sitting at the bar for a long time, when Kallian finally decided to see what the dwarf was up to.

"Miss Orzammar yet?" She asked in jest.

"The only one I miss is Rica," He said and downed more ale.

"Your lover?" Kallian asked wiggling her brows.

"My sister!" Faren said and snorted. "My mother was a useless drunk, ugly to boot, and I take after her. But my sister was sure a pretty little thing. I had to claw Leske off her daily."

"And who is Leske?"

"My running mate in the Carta. Probably dead by now."

"You were in a gang? There is more to you than meets the eye," Kallian said and laughed.

"Nope, pretty much what you see is what you get," Faren said and joined her in laughter.

"Why do you drink so much?" She asked him.

"I'm a dwarf," He said as if that explained everything. "I bet you I'm still sharper than you like this."

"I'll take that bet," She said in challenge.

"Here is the deal, I will bet you a sovereign that I can steal the Aeducan family shield, and be eating my dinner off it before you get the chance to steal Morrigan's poisons."

"I hardly think that's fair! She will turn me into a spider and then squish me to death if she caught me!" Kallian exclaimed.

"Should have known an elf would turn into jelly at the sound of a challenge," Faren said and smiled into his pint. Kallian took the bait.

"Deal!"

**((O))**

Lelianna stripped of her weapons, followed by her leathers, until she was just down to her small clothes. Alistair's jaw hung slack as he most scandalously watched her undressed, transfixed in his shock as it were.

"Off with the armor," She said turning to him.

"You think that we should walk practically naked through a wall of fire? Are you mad?"

"What is it? You want me to go first then?" She asked. She confidently strode forwards, not even taking pause when she reached the fire. She had complete faith that she would not die. As she walked through in enveloped her, giving her whole body a warm tingling feeling. She almost felt weightless by the time she got to the other side. Alistair approached the fire and stuck his gauntlet had close enough to burn himself.

"Ow!"

"Take off your armor!" Lelianna ordered. The guardian appeared next to the Urn, looking down upon them with an ever fixed eye. Alistair motioned for Lelianna to turn around, and she laughed doing so. He stripped down and decided to take the wall at a run, so he wouldn't have time to think about it. Once on the other side the wall dissipated and the templar breathed easy.

The Guardian materialized before them.

"You make each take one pinch of the ashes, nothing more and nothing less," The Guardian warned and disappeared like a mirage.

They dressed themselves back into their armor, Alistair blushing heavily, and they approached the Urn. They both bowed their heads in reverence and Lelianna even said a small prayer, but they had no more time to delay than that. They each took their pinch and went to the doors to leave.

When Alistair pulled open the door a gust of wind ripped through them so strong it knocked Lelianna off her feet in her surprise. They both had to wrestle the door closed with much difficulty.

"How are we supposed to get back to Elissa?" Alistair asked in a panic.

"We are going to have to wait out the storm."

"We don't have time to wait out the storm! Every second we are here she gets closer to dying, the Arl gets closer to dying!"

"We can't fight a Frostback blizzard. It would kill us, and then what hope would they have?" The woman said and sat against the back of the door. Alastair knew she was right, and reluctantly sat next to her to wait out the storm.

**((O))**

Theron climbed down from his seat in the window, realizing that the storm was not going to let up very soon. He walked past the bar where the Duster was eating his dinner off a very ornate shield, and Kallian was glaring at him, muttering something about him being lucky she did not poison his meal.

The Dalish walked into the sick room quietly so as not to startle Daylen. The girl was not looking any better, and the mage too, was starting to match her in color. Theron sat next to him and the two just looked down at her in silence for a long time, until the light outside faded and the candles burned to stubs. The inn-keeper Mavus came in and put fresh candles out and stoked the fire up high, then left.

"She doesn't have much longer does she?"

"It would be a miracle for her to live through the night."

They sat quietly awhile longer, the mage's hands hovering over her, forcing oxygen into those broken lungs.

"You felt guilty didn't you? That's why you made me save her. Connor changed you."

"Yes," Was the Dalish's simple reply.

"Do you think she would have fought for your life, had the tables been turned?"

"I can't know that. The young are often ignorant."

"I understand," The mage said.

"I often forget this is what we are doing, fighting against the Blight I mean. I wonder if they will tell tales of us someday. They will tell of our bravery and how we faced all dangers without question to save the world, but it's not like that. They won't tell how we were seven strangers who hated each other. Who made wrong decisions along the way and how every victory almost seemed like an accident. Who wants to hear a story like that?"

"We're hardly the stuff of legends," Daylen said laughing.

"Are we not? Even if we fail, and all of us perish during this madness, we will be legends."

They sat vigil with Elissa the rest of the night, and in the morning the storm finally broke.

* * *

**Sorry guys if you didn't like all the back and forth in this chapter but I thought it was kinda fun (: drop me a review!**


	10. A Time for Healing

**Hey guys! So I might be a little slower with posting chapter cause of springbreak and the like, but I will try and keep up (as much as I can) my fast pace updates. **

**This chapter is a little shorter than the others, and when you start reading it don't panic, just stick it through. Everything works out I promise :P**

**~Much Love, LadySerenade**

**

* * *

Chapter 9: A Time for Healing  
**

"Well?" Kallian asked when Daylen emerged from the sick room. The look on the man's face did not bode well.

"You can say goodbye to her if you would like," Daylen said and slumped down at the bar. None of them said anything, for they had been preparing for the inevitable. Kallian grasped Daylen's shoulder in reassurance as she passed by him to go with the rest of them to say their goodbyes to Elissa.

The woman looked almost angelic. The blue tint to her skin had left, and she seemed glowing in her death. Maybe that told that she was at peace, but none of them could be sure of such a thing. Kallian noticed Daylen had cleaned her up and even pushed her blond locks off her face. Out of all of them Alistair seemed to be taking this the hardest. He thought he might have been able to save her had he come sooner.

"I can't believe she's dead," He whispered.

There was a long silence before a voice rasped out, "Who's dead?"

All eyes shot to Elissa, who was slowly opening her own eyes. There was so much shock that nobody knew how to react at first. When they came to their senses Kallian called Daylen back into the sick room. He ran to her bed side when he saw her open eyes and kneeled next to the bed.

"How can this be?" He asked in disbelief.

"I…I don't know," Elissa said in long pained breathes.

"I thought you were dead, I mean I knew it!" Daylen said in exasperation.

"I thought I was too, and I am sure I was almost there, but he saved me. In the Fade I was sitting with my parents, balancing Oren on my knee, but I knew something was wrong. I kept feeling pain, and I kept hearing voices that I shouldn't have been. Then a man came to me, he told me he was the Guardian and my task wasn't yet complete. He led me back," The girl said.

"The Guardian?" Asked Lelianna in astonishment. Elissa gave a slight nod of the head but winced with the pain of it.

"I think your bones still need to be properly mended, but at least your lungs and heart seem to be working on their own," Daylen assessed.

"Then we should get to Redcliff," Elissa said. More than the mage looked at her as if she were crazy. Alistair though was the one that spoke up.

"You can't travel like this Elissa, we will go get help for you after we visit the Arl."

"I'm not going to sit here like a broken doll while the rest of you go off without me!" She said but it started a horrible coughing and she ended up spitting up blood. She turned her face away from them in shame.

"I'm going with you," She whispered.

"Elissa you—"

"I will heal at Redcliff!"

After a long time arguing with her, she somehow coerced the rest of them to strap her to the stretcher and carry her down the rest of the mountain and to Redcliff. They bid their farewells to Mavus and went on their way. Elissa tried not to complain the whole way of her pain, for it was she that made them take her, but there was more than one statement about how she would rather be back in the coma.

They had to make camp for the night, so Kallian did her best to keep Elissa pumped full of anything that would knock her out or kill the pain. It would be an understatement to say the rest of the group was not still a little shaken from the almost death of the girl, or the whole ordeal in Haven at all. Lelianna seemed to fit into the swing of things well enough, but there were many sets of eyes watching the new comer.

On the other side of camp Faren spit a mouthful from his flagon into the fire and dropped the silver carrier. "Tastes like dog piss!" He shouted and continued to spit everywhere.

"It is," Duran said from a few feet away. There was no expression on the Aeducan's face.

"You trying to kill me?" Faren shouted.

"Maybe next time you will think twice about what you eat off of."

**((O))**

"My boy," Eamon said and cradled his wife's head into his chest. The mages were able to fully revive the Arl, to the relief of the rest of the group. It was not pleasant to have to watch him take in all the bad news, but things needed to be set in motion.

"I will give you a moment brother, meet us down in the main hall when you are ready," Teagan said and made for the door.

"No, I will go now. It is not the time for mourning."

The companions all assembled in the main hall, with the exception of Daylen and Elissa. The Cousland girl was being mended upstairs by the mages, and Daylen wished to remain in the practice courts, rather than come inside. His absence was felt by the entirety of them, but none addressed it.

"And what of Jowan?" Eamon asked his brother.

"Still in the dungeons."

"He shall be executed," The Arl stated.

"If I may sir?" Theron asked. The Arl was happy to hear him out.

"There are many circumstances here that cannot be readily understood. It is not entirely up to you what happens to the mage," The dalish stated to the chagrin of most of them.

"This man poisoned me, it is entirely up to me what happens to him."

"You are not the only one he has wronged, and certainly you can see that. Let us return him to the Circle to face justice."

The Arl thought on this. "As you wish, and who will take him there?"

"We still have the treaties to collect upon, one of them being for the Circle of Magi. Let us take him there," Theron suggested. The logic could not be argued with.

"I agree upon this. As wardens it is your duty to collect upon these treaties," Eamon said.

"And of course Loghain's treachery will not go unpunished," Teagan interjected.

"No, that must be taken care of straight away. I will call a Landsmeet."

"You will need something quite substantial to turn the people against Loghain," Kallian said.

"I intend to put Alistair forward as King," Eamon told the group. Alistair was not far behind with his complaints.

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"Alistair you will do your duty," Eamon said sounding very much like he was scolding a schoolboy. Alastair did not say anything else, but it was felt that this was not the plan he wished. Many wondered if him being king was even a good idea, but it would be enough to over throw Loghain's own claims to the throne.

So it was decided upon that they would convene to the Circle of Magi to collect upon the treaty there. Elissa was left behind so her bones could be mended by proper healers, and she would be doing her healing in Redcliff under Bann Teagan's watchful eye. To everyone's surprise Daylen elected to stay with her, at least while they visited the Circle of Magi. He was not eager to go back to that place.

**((O))**

"What do you mean you won't let us across to the Tower?" Alistair asked impatiently. The Templar just stated that he had strict orders not to let anyone across.

"But we're Grey Wardens and we have a treaty requiring aid from the Circle."

"You're Wardens eh? Prove it?"

"We are conversing with a moron!" Morrigan said in exasperation. They were all thinking it anyhow. There was a commotion behind them and they heard a familiar voice roaring. The group turned to see Sten hoisting a small man into the air.

"Sten don't!" Kallian said and ran off the dock. Sten threw the man down the hill and stalked after him determinedly. He grabbed the man again.

"The sword where is it?"

"I swear there weren't anything here when I got here!"

"What are you doing here scavenger?" Kallian said when she recognized the man for what he was.

"Faryn ripped me off I swear it! If the sword is anywhere it's with him!"

Sten threw the man to the ground and stepped on his throat. "Where is he?"

"Frostbacks," The man rasped out. Sten went off by himself, Kallian calling after him all the while. She ran back to the others who were still arguing with the Templar.

"Let them across or I will turn the angry giant on you!" The elf spat. The man went ghostly pale, and then agreed to take them across to the Tower. Before they got on the boat, Kallian did a brief explanation of what had happened with Sten. She told them she was going with him to make sure everything was alright, and that she would meet them in Redcliff when they got the treaty.

When the others got to the Tower, it was in a state of utter chaos, and the knight-commander seemed none too thrilled to see Jowan in tow. The blood mage did not put up any fight though, and said he was here to face justice, and sat quietly next to the quartermaster.

The companions discovered that the Right of Annulment had been called, for abominations and demons had seized the Tower viscously. Gregoir explained that it was highly unlikely that any of the mages survived the attack.

"So we wait for the Right of Annulment," Duran stated.

"There has to be survivors!" Theron outraged.

Morrigan was laughing behind the group, when they looked to her she simply explained, "This is above and beyond what I expected from the Circle of Magi."

"Nobody asked you," Alastair told her. She just shrugged and went back to her general scrutiny.

"We need to look for survivors," Theron told the others.

"And risk more useless resources? You heard the Knight-Commander, likely none of them survived," Duran fought back.

"_Likely_! If even one of them has a chance in there then we have to help."

"Always the do-gooder then? What if this costs us another one, or do you forget the Elissa is sitting in Redcliff castle a lot worse for the ware?" The dwarf laughed.

"I already lost someone to this Blight because I didn't look for him hard enough, and then I killed a child, so excuse me for wanting to make sure more don't die while they still have a chance. We are Grey Wardens, sworn to protect others above what it might cost us. I'm going in there," Theron told the dwarf, stepping close to him. The Knight-Commander ordered the doors open to let the Dalish through. Alistair, Lelianna, and Faren followed him through. Morrigan seemed content to stay here and mess with the Templars, and Duran did not see the need to go.

They walked on edge, not knowing quite what to expect once the Templar's closed the doors behind them. They searched rooms quietly, Faren looting along the way. Nothing seemed very eventful yet. There were no signs of dead mages, but there were a few dead Templars.

"Do you hear that?" Theron asked. The rest of them did not hear anything at first, for the Dalish had a far superior sense of hearing. They stayed quiet for a moment, and then the others heard it to. There was the distinct sound of roaring fires, and a screaming child.

They ran for all they were worth towards the noise. They emerged upon the scene to see an elderly mage, and a younger one, fighting back some monster made of fire. It roared above them but they were able to dispatch it. In the room was proof enough that there were survivors. There was the elder mage, a few younger mages, possibly apprentices, and a handful of children.

The elder turned towards the group, sweat on her brow, but fire in her eyes. The wardens recognized her from Ostagar, and she seemed to remember them by the look of relief that was on her face, followed by one of confusion.

"Grey Wardens?"

"We are here to help," Theron told her.

"Help? But…"

"Gregoir has called for the Right of Annulment," Alistair supplied.

The woman put her head in her hands. "I feared this would happen."

"Do not despair, it has not arrived yet, and we intend to look for survivors."

"Then let me help you, my name is Wynne, if you remember. I have kept these ones safe, but I am sure there are more inside."

"What happened here?"

"I hope it is not what I fear," Was the only explanation the mage would give.

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**Sorry it's a bit shorter of a chapter, and I promise to get back into the action very soon! I also wanted to explain something real quick that I was not posotive if I made clear. Elissa did not fully die, so the Guardian bringing her back wasn't like the spirit that brought Wynne back to life or anything. Elissa was just extremely close to death before the ashes did their trick. **

**anyways! Drop me a review!  
**


	11. Into the Fade

**Sorry the update is a bit later than usual, springbreak has been pretty busy, but I'm trying to keep up!**

**~Much Love! LadySerenade**

**

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Chapter 10: Into the Fade  
**

"And as the sun rose in the east, breaking light upon the new day, it was found that the Grey Wardens were victorious. The ground was black with the blood of the darkspawn, but it was beautiful for the shine off the armor of the saviors far outshone any darkness," Bann Teagan finished the book and closed it on his lap.

Elissa was well enough to sit up in bed today, even though her arm was still in a sling and breathing was difficult. He had been reading to her everyday stories and legends of Grey Wardens. They made her smile in pride at the victories and cry at their struggles. It was like she did not realize that someday she might be in one of these stories. Teagan smiled down at her when she asked him to read her another one.

"Just give me a moment?" Teagan asked seeing Daylen walking down the hall.

"Hurry back!" Elissa called as he went out of the room.

The Bann approached the mage in the hall and led him into the study for a private meeting with him. The mage reluctantly agreed to this. When the door was shut behind them Daylen pretended to be interested in the books lining the shelves of the walls.

"What is it you want Bann Teagan?" The mage eventually asked.

"Well, I wanted to…apologize. I should not have behaved the way I did towards you. My judgment was clouded at the anger towards your friend, the fear for my brother's life, and my fear for the lives of others. I judged you far too quickly," The Bann said.

"What do you want me to say Teagan?"

"You don't have to say anything. Know that I was wrong. I was so very wrong. You…saved Elissa's life, and you helped save my brother's life when I did not expect you to do so."

"You can thank the Dalish elf for Elissa's life. I was all for letting her out of her misery. It was Theron who told me to save her life."

"But you kept her alive, when you did not have to. I have to say that I did not think this would be the turnout of things."

"Well then maybe you learned a lesson here," The mage said.

"I have, I have indeed. It seems that even as I turn into an old man, I still have many things to learn." The Bann admitted this with no shame.

"I see the way you watch over her," Daylen told him, turning to the other man for the first time since their conversation began.

"Yes."

"Maybe the Bann does not recognize the way he is making her fall in love with him," the mage mused.

"And what of you? She speaks of you daily."

"It is only hero worship my good man, as you pointed out I saved her life."

"Perhaps," Bann Teagan said and smiled. He extended his hand to the mage, who shook it. They made their peace.

**((O))**

"Let your Maker show you mercy, for you shall find none here," Theron told the Blood Mage who had begged him to spare her life. He sliced her throat silently as she just stood there and let it happen. It was her punishment for being part of all this. He looked down at her dead body for a few moments before Lelianna broke the silence.

"Perhaps we should move on," She suggested.

"Yes, let's move," Theron agreed and led them on. They had a little information to go on now. It seemed that a mage named Uldred was behind all this, and the mage who had died told them that many of her fellow mages succumbed to the temptations of Blood Magic. She told them that if the First Enchanter was still alive, he would be in the Harrowing chamber.

As Theron led them through the second floor they fought a number of the Blood Mages, and various more demons and abominations. Everywhere were the dead bodies of fellow mages, and even a few Templars. They could not even imagine what it would have been like to see this madness ensue. The most they could do now was clean up and pick up the pieces, if there were any left.

They finally found the stairs to lead them upstairs but Wynne stopped them at a door just beyond.

"This is Irving's office," She told the others and went to have a look around.

There were books lining the walls floor to ceiling, and Alistair commented on how he wondered if the First Enchanter had actually read them all or not. Theron's sharp eyes did not miss Faren taking a small painted box of the desk, or Lelianna opening a chest in the corner. She took a black book from it and seemed contented to hold onto it. The elf looked around and noticed there was nothing really of use in here, nothing that would help them, so he moved the group up to the third floor.

There was an entire hall full of skeletons up here. They had fought a lot of undead lately, so they tread carefully. They were fully prepared when the beasts sprung up and attacked them, all except Wynne and Lelianna who were slightly surprised by this. The horrible hissings and growling surrounded them, but the monsters were not match for the skilled group of warriors.

"Keep moving," Theron ordered them. He did not want to hesitate for anything, knowing that time was of the essence here.

They fought vigorously until they reached the stairs to the next floor. Here they stopped for a short rest, with all the fighting taking a bit of a toll on them. Wynne reminded them that they could not delay long however, for the Right of Annulment could arrive at anytime. So they trudged on upstairs.

"It's quiet up here," Faren noted what they were all thinking. They went carefully onwards until coming upon a Templar. In front of the man stood a most gorgeous, yet frightening creature. Her skin was tinted purple, but she had a perfectly sculpted body. He face seems flawless if you could ignore the horns and flames. The men in the group were all temporarily distracted as the desire demon turned her gaze on them. The Templar turned to, and there was no emotion or recognition in his eyes. He was bewitched.

"Let him go!" Lelianna cried vehemently. The demon zoned in on Alistair, coercing him to turn against his fellows just as the other Templar attacked them. Theron threw Alistair to the ground breaking the trance and they fought and killed the Templar and Demon.

"Well that was a close one," Alistair said half in jest, half in seriousness.

"We are going to need to stay sharp! No falling prey to Demons," Theron warned and helped the other man off the ground. They walked across the way into a huge chamber, with a hideous abomination hovering over a mage, who was seemingly dead.

The beast looked up at them and seemed to be laughing slightly, though the sound was congested and far away.

"Sleep now," He told them, and one by one they fell.

**((O))**

Faren woke in a shifty place. His eyes could not quite focus on anything at first and his heart started to race. This was not normal. He looked around and heard a million voices and he covered his ears to try and drown them out. What was he doing in this place? He remembered being at the Circle Tower, but even that seemed far away now.

"You useless little brat!" His mother's voice screamed and he felt the crack of her hand on his backside. He was a little kid in Dust Town again. Things seemed to solidify and he turned to see his mother in another of her drunken fits. Her eyes wild and bloodshot. Rica came out from underneath a table and grabbed Faren's hand and ran with him.

They ran out of the house and out into the streets. It was full of all the beggars and usual miscreants of their forces society, but Rica and him knew a secret place that was almost beautiful in this hell. They ran for the Jaster house and shimmied their tiny bodies through the hole in the side. Once they were inside they snuck out the back door and admired the view they had. You could look straight up here and almost see portions of the diamond quarter. They could sit here for hours and just look up at lives they would never have.

"That man came around again today," Rica said quietly.

"What did he want?"

"He said he could make life easier for us little brother. I think I am going to sell myself to him. He said he'll be able to paint me up real pretty like them noble girls."

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, so that I can marry a good man or something. Anything has got to be better than what mother has in store for us," She said and looked up as far as she could. Faren did to and saw how shifty the sky was. Something was wrong again, he should be able to see up into the stone darkness, not into swirling clouds. Before his very eyes he saw Rica shift into a rage demon.

**((O))**

Theron awoke in the forest. The sky seemed strange but he could see the smoke coming from fires up ahead. He raced to them, not quite aware of what was happening. He stumbled back into his camp. He was a teenager again, and it was late at night and Paivel was telling stories by the fire. Tamlen looked up at his approach.

"Nyla has been looking for you," He said and wiggled his eyebrows. Why did Theron feel saddened by this, by seeing Tamlen here in front of the fire? The clan was still somewhere outside of Lothering, but they would be moving on soon. They never stayed in one place very long.

"Theron!" Someone whispered from the tree line. He moved slowly towards the sound and was suddenly grabbed and pulled back into the woods. A fervent kiss was placed on his lips and when he opened his eyes again he made out Nyla's features. She was a pretty little one, with long blonde hair and bright green eyes. She had just recently received her Vallaslin, which suited her well.

Theron did not feel right about this either, something told him that she shouldn't be here. He had a quick flash of her being run through by a Templar, but that could not be. She was right here in front of him, kissing him, and pulling him deeper into the woods. So why did this already feel like a memory?

"Come on Theron," She said and ran with him through the forest. The settle down by the river and lay on its banks looking up at the stars. She put her head on his chest and they sat there in peace.

"Make love to me," She whispered. He looked down at her, and then gently laid her down on her back. He hovered over her and kissed those soft lips one more time.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Came her voice, but something in it did not sound right. He remembered this night. She had not said yes, she had giggled and played it coy, before she stripped down and jumped in the river. They had swum under the moonlight.

The edges of Theron's vision began to blur, and he shook his head as if to clear it. He was not laying over Nyla anymore, now he had a rage demon in his arms.

**((O))**

Elissa finally fell asleep after a long healing session with the mages. Her bones were mending well, and her lungs and heart seemed good as new. She drifted slowly into the Fade, only to be chased by nightmares.

This night she dreamed of Duncan, and they were in Weisshaupt fortress. There was a swarm of Wardens there, Wardens she had known to have died in Ostagar. Something strange kept pulling her attention however. Theron, Faren, and Alistair were all there, but they were apart from the others. Faren sat on the ground crossed legged, with his eyes closed, just as not far away Theron lay flat on his back, again eyes closed. She approached Alistair who seemed to be running around in madness with his eyes closed, but he was laughing. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him until he looked at him with open eyes.

"Elissa! What are you doing here?"

"I…" She paused when she heard terrible screaming. She watched as her companions each had to do battle with giant fiery demons. Chaos broke out in all directions as the Wardens began to run. Fire sprang up all over and arrows flew past her face. There was a giant ogre not ten feet away, hoisting up the king and crushing him in his massive hands. She was back in Ostagar, but this time she was on the front lines. An emissary cast his spell at her, and Elissa woke with a start.

She lay in her own sweat and her eyes were wide open. She could not calm her breath, but she felt she was not alone in the room. Sure enough Bann Teagan was sleeping in a chair by her bedside, holding her hand. She looked down at the conjoined hands and her breath seemed to start to slow. When she looked back up again Teagan woke up. He leaned into her.

"Are you alright Elissa?" He asked and took out a cloth to wipe her forehead. His hands were cool against her skin.

"I…I just had a nightmare," She said lamely. Teagan would not push her to say anything she did not want to say. Instead he wiped her brow and offered her a glass of water.

"I think the others are in trouble," She said at last.

"How do you mean?"

"I dreamed of them, but it was different. I could really feel them…I just think they are in trouble." She said and sipped at the water.

"I'm sure they are alright, now get some sleep," He said and took the water from him. She smiled up at the Bann.

"And what about you?"

"I will as soon as you do," He promised her.

Elissa lay back down in the pillows, but could not shake the feeling that her companions were in trouble.


	12. Loose Ends

**Haven't really been feeling the love guys, hope you still are loving the story (: and yay this chapter brings in more characters yet again! Haha **

**Read*Review**

**~LadySerenade**

**

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Chapter 11: Loose Ends  
**

Sten and Kallian arrived safely in the Frostbacks, and finding the dwarven city was not very hard. More and more dwarves started appearing in the mountains, and it was unsure whether they were natural inhabitants, or simply fleeing from Orzammar. They paid no attention to the elf and the giant, unlike everyone else who had gawked at the duo.

Sten grabbed her by the shoulder and made her take pause. He then pointed ahead to a suspicious group of humans. They had a mage with them, and most looked to be savagely dressed, but extremely well armed. They were bounty hunters.

"You don't think they're for us?" Kallian asked Sten.

He just grunted in response as they moved forward with caution. They approached slowly and as the bounty hunters looked up, it was clear that the pair was exactly what they were looking for.

The mage struck out with lightening first, narrowly missing Kallian as the other two sprung into action. Sten bull charged the two in front while the elf went for the mage. She came in close with her blade, almost kissing the woman's throat, but was pushed away by a force field. Kallian was going to have to think more tactically if she could not get in close to the mage.

A few feet away she saw her opportunity so she ran for it. She swung around a large pillar, and like she planned the mage had to move to get her back in range. Kallian ran forward praying that the bounty hunter would give her chase, and thanking the Maker when she did. The elf turned back when she heard the vicious snap of the animal trap, and the strangled cries of the mage.

She walked slowly back, knowing the other woman would be in far too much pain to do anything to her. The leg was obviously broken, and bleeding out rather quickly. Kallian did not let her suffer long however, before she sank her blades into the woman's chest, ending her misery.

"Loghain should know better," Kallian laughed as Sten approached her, victorious in his dealings as well as she was.

"Let us move on," Sten said and started to step forward. Kallian grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back with a quick jerk. Sten turned his steely eyes on her. The elf blushed and nodded her head towards the ground.

"Animal traps line this path, take the bridge," She explained.

"You can let go of me now," He pointed out.

"Oh yes," Kallian whispered and let her hands drop.

They walked onwards until they reached the giant gates of Orzammar. There were various dwarfs that set up shop on the perimeter, and a couple of other merchants. They asked around for Faryn, and were pointed to a shifty red head nearest to the doors. They approached him slowly, but it did not matter, the sight of Sten already frightened the man.

"We have some business with you," Kallian told him.

"What kind of business?" He asked, but never took his eyes off of Sten.

"By Lake Calenhad you found some dead giants didn't you? And you stole a sword from there?" She asked him, but made it clear she already knew what he did.

"I don't have the sword if that's what you're asking," He said. Sten grabbed the man by his collar.

"Where is my sword?"

"Andraste's knickers let me go! I sold it a couple weeks back!"

"To whom?" Sten growled.

"A dwarf in Redcliff, he's a collector! His name is Dwyn!"

Sten let the man down, and seemed to accept what he said. Kallian warned the merchant that they would be back if he was lying, but by the fear in the man's eyes, she suspected he was too afraid to lie to them. Before they went back down the mountain, Kallian heard a commotion at the door, and Loghain's name being used. She led Sten to the door.

There were a few men in royal livery trying to get into Orzammar but the gate keepers would not let them through. They told him the dwarves were in no state to receive visitors.

"What has happened in Orzammar?" Kallian asked.

"Things that do not concern an elf," The dwarf said.

"I am a Grey Warden with treaties requiring aid from the King of Orzammar," She specified.

"Do you have documentation?"

"I can get it," She told them.

"If you can bring back proof of what you claim is true then we will let you in, but know we cannot offer you what you seek. Orzammar has no king."

"King Endrin is….?"

"Dead."

"Yeah so run along traitors," The other guest spat at the elf. She knew they were Loghain's men.

"The Wardens know what really happened, does your _King_ know how many enemies he has?"

"Are you threatening me? I'm not scared of you knife ears!"

Kallian delivered a swift kick to his nether regions and laughed as he toppled to the ground. She crouched next to him and lifted his head to her mouth.

"Know that if I wanted you dead, it would only be too easy," She whispered and used one of her daggers to knick his cheek. She dropped him back to the ground and her and Sten moved to go back down the mountain. When on the bridge she turned to him.

"We should hurry back to Redcliff; we have some unpleasant news to deliver to Duran."

**((O))**

"Ah why don't we strike now!" One of them cried impatiently. The leader held up his hand to silence them. He watched the pair of them intently. The giant would be a problem, he would have to wait till the two of them were separated to grab the little one. She was a pretty one to be sure, and he smiled knowing he would have fun with this one.

"Let me kill her and then we only have to worry about the other six!"

"Patience my dear, we are going with my plan. As soon as she is away from the giant we will take her. The others will come."

He watched them descend the mountain, the little red head skipping and trying to make jokes with the stoic man. He would have fun with this one indeed.

**((O))**

Theron was losing hope that we would ever be able to riddle his way out of this place. He could not tell how long he had been trapped in this nightmarish place, but he knew it had to be a long time. He was fading, growing stronger in this world as his body faded in the real one.

He sat studying the grand doors in front of him. He could not make them budge, but he knew he somehow had to get through them to get off this place. It was hopeless, the only thing he had been taught was how to transform into a mouse, but he could not squeeze under the door.

A purplish cloud started to appear next to him, with a solid being forming in the middle. Theron stood up in alarm at first, but then prepared himself for another demon. Instead the visage of Daylen appeared before him. He smiled in relief to see the dalish, but the elf was not fooled by more visions. He still had his guard up, waiting for it to turn into yet another abomination.

"Theron we have to move! You and the others don't have much more time; you'll die if you stay in here much longer. The Right of Annulment has arrived."

"What is this?" The elf asked in disbelief.

"You're still in the fade! Only a mage can have any hope of navigating it sensibly. Morrigan is rounding up the others," The visage told him. He was not sure what to believe.

"Morrigan?"

"Yes, you remember scary witch lady? Elissa kept having nightmares and sent me to help you."

Theron did not move, just stared at him some more.

"I don't have time for this!" Daylen fumed and transformed into a giant stone golem, crashing through the doors before Theron. That seemed to wake up the elf. They went forward killing all demons in their wake until they came upon a desire demon. She laughed and made to run from them, turning into a mouse and disappearing down a hole.

"I'm on it!" Theron called and chased her through. On the other side she transformed back into her normal self. She cocked her head and laughed at Theron. He recognized that laugh.

"I remember you! When the stupid boy took control of his body you killed him, you killed my host!" She screamed angrily and attacked the elf.

She swirled in fast circles, sending Theron flying back, but he was on his feet in a moment, attacking the demon again. He was much faster then she had anticipated, and anger honed his skills to be sharper and fiercer. He feigned left and leaped right. When he was airborne he sunk one of his blades into the demons shoulder, sending her to the ground.

She cried out in pain and tried to pull the blade from her shoulder, to no avail. Theron walked up to her and cradled her the same way he had the boy so many weeks ago. He pulled out that same ornate dagger, holding her head close to his.

"This time it's not the boy!" He shouted and plunged the blade into her skull. As she vanished before him, so did he.

Theron reappeared as the others were fighting off Sloth. The elf pulled out his bow and jumped into the action with the others. Daylen appeared shortly after, with another mage. The dalish briefly recognized him as Niall, whom he had run into on the island where he learned to transform into the mouse.

"About time you showed up," Morrigan cried, sending out hail from the skies.

"I was preoccupied woman," Daylen grunted, helping her freeze Sloth to the ground. Lelianna and Theron sank arrows into the beast, as Alistair and Faren finished him off close range. The monster fell and they all breathed easy for a moment.

"Niall?" Wynne asked the other mage, recognizing him.

"Wynne you must save the others, Uldred is more powerful than you can even imagine. I tried to stop this all from happening, but I am no hero," The man said defeated.

"He will pay for this with his life, I promise you," Wynne avowed.

"Take the Litany off my body, it will protect the mages."

"Your sacrifice will never be forgotten," The senior mage promised him, and everything around them started to vanish. They awoke again in the large chamber to see the body of the Sloth demon fall over. Theron grabbed the Litany off of Niall's body and they marched onwards to deliver justice to the Blood Mage Uldred.

**((O))**

"Should it be taking this long? They've been gone for weeks!" Kallian said impatiently and stormed around the library. Elissa looked up from her book, and Sten looked up from polishing his sword.

"Calm yourself Kadan, they will return soon enough," Sten told her and sheathed Asala.

"I'm sure Daylen has things under control," Elissa interjected. She was as fully healed as she would ever get. The mages warned her that her shield arm had lost some mobility, and that her ribs would ache in extreme weather, but other than that she would be fine. Kallian sat back down at the long table and looked at the book her companion was reading.

"What is that anyhow?"

"Chasind tales of Flemeth," She said laughing and wiggling her brows.

"What, did Bann Teagan already read you every lore involving the Wardens?" Kallian teased.

Elissa blushed slightly. "Well I can read for myself now."

"Where is Teagan anyhow?"

"Business in the Bannorn," Elissa supplied and things went quiet again. Kallian started tapping her finger on the table over and over before Elissa grabbed her hand.

"I know! I think I'm going to go down to the village for a bit," The elf said, hoping the walk would calm her nerves.

"I will go with you," Sten offered.

"No it's okay, I'll just take Cammi for a walk." The dogs ears perked up, and she followed the little woman out of the castle.

Once Kallian was in Redcliff she decided to visit the tavern, in hopes to catch up on some gossip. Bella greeted her warmly when she walked in and showed her to her favorite table in the corner. She even bore Cammi away to feed the mabari some kitchen scraps.

Kallian stared into the flames of the small lantern, but a shadow was cast over her table. She looked up to see another elf. He was quite handsome, with golden skin, and a clever tattoo on one side of his face. The smile was devilish and the eyes were liquid.

"May I sit with you?" He said in a lovely Antivan accent.

She was hesitant at first, but that smile worked its charms. "Of course."

**((O))**

The giant beast pounded his fists, knocking Alistair and Faren off of their feet. The mages started to glow and cry out in pain.

"Protect the mages!" Daylen cried out, as Wynne began to read from the Litany.

Uldred continued to pound in every direction, but more often than not seeming to land heavy blows against Alistair's shield. The man winced in pain as he was knocked back to the ground, holding the shield above his head to protect himself.

"We're not doing enough damage!" Theron called out as his arrows uselessly bounced off of the monster before them.

Morrigan grabbed a stray Blood Mage and burned her hand into his skull. The man screamed out in madness and she sent him running towards Uldred. When he got to his right leg, the man exploded sending the beast toppling over. They all paused at Morrigan's power for a second, but quickly snapped back to reality. More than one of them sank blades into Uldred until he no longer moved. Not even a twitch.

"So this is the place the Chantry would have rather had me spend my life," Morrigan remarked in her snarky tone.

"So friendly, is it not?" Daylen half laughed half panted in his exhaustion.

The First Enchanter stood shakily, heavily leaning on Wynne's arm. He put a hand to his forehead. "Oh I am much too old for this."

"Are you alright?" Daylen said approaching his once mentor.

"You child, are the last person I expected to save this place," The Enchanter remarked.

"I know," Daylen replied quietly.

"We should get you downstairs Irving. Gregoir will want to know what became of you, and if we hurry the Right of Annulment might still be pacified," Wynne told him.

They accompanied the elder mage back downstairs, taking with them every mage, tranquil, and child they had found inside the Tower. The Knight-Commander called off the right when he laid eyes upon the First Enchanter. He seemed less pleased to see Daylen had made it back alive, but he did not say anything.

Wynne made it known she wanted to travel with the Wardens for a time, and they welcomed openly a healer among their ranks. The Tower would heal, and Irving gave her leave of them if that was what she truly wished. He thanked his former student for his role in saving the Tower, and told him that if he ever wanted to return, that he would be welcome. Daylen was unsure if he ever would return but it felt good nonetheless to make peace with the First Enchanter. He had not left on very good terms.

Before they left however, Daylen approached Jowan.

"I guess this is goodbye my friend," Daylen said to him.

"We've come full circle. It seems fitting that I should die here…where I ruined everything," Jowan said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"Don't talk like that."

"I am not afraid anymore. We both know my punishment."

"I'm so sorry Jowan. I should have done more. I should have found some way to set you free back in Redcliff," Daylen said, trying not to get choked up, knowing that within the day his friend would be dead.

"You are free," Jowan whispered misty eyed. "That shall be enough for me."


	13. MIA

**So who else is excited about today? Yay Dragon Age 2 is finally here! I'm sure this place will be exploding with new stories very soon, just hope you don't forget the old ones as well!**

**~Much Love, LadySerenade**

**

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Chapter 12: MIA  
**

"What do you mean she is missing?" Daylen cried. They were in a meeting with Arl Eamon, letting him know how things went with the Circle, when Elissa reported that no one had seen or heard from Kallian in three days.

It put all of them a little at odds. It was hard to know if the woman had run away, been killed, or simply vanished. Sten had spent the most tireless of hours looking for her. It was well known that she was nowhere to be found in Redcliff, yet no one had seen her leave.

"Perhaps she went home to Denerim. When we were there she got word to her cousin that she was alive and well, perhaps her cousin sent word back," Faren told the others.

"Don't you think she would have let us known before simply running home?" Theron asked.

"I could have a runner go to Denerim and search for her," Teagan told the companions.

"And what will you tell him to look for? A little red headed elf in the Alienage? He will come back with half the population," Daylen shot back, a little too quickly.

"She would have let us known if she was returning home. There has to be something in the village that points to what happened to her," Alistair tried rationalizing with them.

"I'm afraid there is more bad news then that," Elissa said, not willing to look up from her ever fixed gaze of the stone floor.

"Well?" Eamon urged her.

"When Sten and Kallian were in the Frostbacks they heard certain news from Orzammar," She told the floor. Duran noticeably paid more attention, and Faren noticeably tried to tune it out.

"King Endrin has passed," She said very slowly. The gazes stole away to Duran, but the dwarf did not react. Somehow that was more disturbing. No emotions played over his features, and nothing gave hint that he might be grieved by this news.

"So what are we going to do about the elf?" Duran asked the group. Elissa finally looked up.

"Did you not hear me?" She asked.

"Another dwarven King has died, I heard what you said."

"He was _your father_," Elissa said in disbelief, this was visibly disturbing her.

"What do you want from me Cousland?"

"Do you feel nothing at all?" She asked wide eyed, looking more upset over the death of his father than Duran did.

"I did not grow up with your family girl. In my home you always had to stay sharp, else risk falling prey to a jealous brother or sister's schemes and murders. My family bore me little love, so if you expect to see me all torn up about the passing of a member in such a family, keep looking."

Elissa did not say anything to this. None of them did, for none of them could truly know what it was like to have that kind of existence. In this group there was a girl who had been loved and adored by her family, a man who had no family, and an elf whose family ran deep. Faren, who knew of the troubles and hardships of the dwarven city could not even relate to this, for at least he had Rica.

"So what is our next move?" Duran asked, trying to break apart awkward silences.

"I hate to even suggest this, but perhaps it is time we split up?" Alistair asked. They looked to him to elaborate on this further.

"We're running out of time before the Landsmeet, and we still have two treaties to collect upon. Not to mention we now have a missing Warden."

"So what are you suggesting?" Elissa asked.

"We have a large enough group to split. A few to Orzammar, a few in search of the Dalish and some to try and find Kallian."

They all thought on this for a moment, but could not deny that this was best. They were running out of time, and the Blight would not simply go away because they willed it to happen. They debated upon it heavily deciding who would go where. Alistair and Lelianna would head to Orzammar, and both of the dwarves, neither of whom were particularly eager to go, agreed to lead them there. Sten wanted to be the one to search for Kallian, but Elissa did not want him to go alone, so opted for her and Cammi to help him. That left Theron with the three mages.

"Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke doesn't it? So three mages and an elf set off into the forest," Daylen said in jest. Morrigan's glare shut him up.

**((O))**

Kallian awoke in a small stone chamber. There was the little pallet she had been laying on, a chair, a tiny table with a lit candle, and a pot in the corner. Her head was swimming, and she faintly remembered hitting the ground very hard, without her arms to break the fall. Her memory came back in small doses. The tavern in Redcliff…..the elf! The elf had drugged her!

When she heard footsteps in the hall she sprang to her feet, only regretting it a little when the dizziness almost spilled her back on her butt. She grabbed the chair and stood behind the door, waiting for whoever entered.

The door opened slowly, and she swung the chair at the first person to enter, breaking it upon their head. It was a woman, and the instant she fell, two men grabbed Kallian by the arms and forced her to her knees. The tan elf came in then, carrying a torch that illuminated the room far better than the candle had. He did not even seem to care that she had knocked out the woman, and simply went and put his torch on a nook in the wall. He ordered the other two men to take the woman out and give him some alone time.

"I knew you would be a fighter, that's why I sent Dellie in first," The Antivan said and leaned against the small table. He was not afraid of her, but she could still see he was well enough armed. She tried to calculate how fast she would have to be to grab one of those dual swords from him.

"What do you want from me?" She spat instead.

He stood and cornered her. His face came close to hers and he put a finger to the neckline of her tunic. It was only then that she noticed they stripped her of her armor.

"There are plenty of things I want from you personally my dear, but alas you are part of a much bigger picture."

"The Wardens then," She said knowingly.

"Clever girl!" He said laughing, but he did not move his proximity from her. She did not appreciate his lingering gaze, or the fact that he pressed his body to hers. She wondered if this was some kind of test.

"If you're going to rape me get it over with," She told him. He backed away with disgust then, and she almost couldn't believe she had guessed wrong.

"I am a great many things, but a rapist is not one of them."

"What do you want with the Wardens?" She asked as he went back to his leaning position against the table. He did not answer, just stared at her.

"If it's money you want then you are out of luck! The Grey Wardens aren't exactly well endowed in Ferelden," She said almost laughing at the irony.

"I don't want money, just to have your fellows come here looking for you."

"So what is it you want in return for my life?" She asked genuinely confused.

"Oh my dear, I have no intention of giving you back alive."

She let the words sink in. She had been threatened many times in and throughout her life. This time it was more real though. She knew this man was an assassin, and by his accent she knew he had to be a Crow. A couple of them had passed through the Alienage years ago. This death threat was sickeningly more real. Then something else struck her, and it hurt worse than the threat to her own life.

"This is a trap," She whispered. The man chuckled confirming it.

"Clever clever."

"You are luring them here, only to kill them all. Loghain hired you!" She yelled and kicked him so fast in the stomach he did not have time to react. He doubled over for a moment to breathe, then pulled out one of his elegant swords and swung it wide so it was inches from her face. The look of fear there made him lower it again, and he laughed.

"I shall enjoy breaking you," He said and went to leave the room.

"This is crazy you know!" She cried. "If you think you can take all six of us then you must be suicidal!"

The man turned and she did not expect to see the sadness in his eyes. "I know," He said and left her there, removing the torch and returning the room to its almost complete state of darkness.

**((O))**

Elissa, Sten and Cammi were the last group still in the courtyard of Redcliff castle the next morning. Alistair's group had left very early to reach the Mountain passes before dark, and Theron and his mages just left moments before.

Sten wanted to linger and search in Redcliff village. He insisted that there had to be some sort of lead there, and would not give up till he had something to go on. Elissa admired his steadfast attitude.

"Are you sure you are up to this?" Teagan asked Elissa, handing her the shield of Highever.

"Bann Teagan, every healer in the castle gave me leave days ago. I am more than ready to do something useful," Elissa said and smiled. The Bann smiled with her.

"The castle will be quieter without you and Cammi," The man said and scratched the dog behind the ears.

"I think you are wrong, I think it shall be louder since Sten is leaving." They both looked to wear the giant was, and Elissa laughed to see that he was picking a small yellow flower. When he stood and looked to back at them, both the Bann and Elissa pretended to be deep in conversation.

"Who knew he was such a softie?" Teagan asked laughing. They looked at each other in silence a moment longer. He then held out his hand, which Elissa looked down at in disappointment. She shook it with a sad face, until Teagan held her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it.

"Farewell Lady Elissa," He said in his court manner. She smiled at this, but felt a strange pang of sadness in it. It was like pretend to have this moment. Never again would she have that old life of hers, one that her mother had trained her in since she was little. Her shield suddenly felt unbearably heavy on her good arm, and she remembered the life her father had taught her since she was little. As a teenager she would always wonder which life would win out, and who she would become. Since when was she sad that it was the one her father taught her?

"Farewell Bann Teagan, I shall see you again very soon."

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**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think and drop me a review!**


	14. Among the Dalish

**Sorry it took so long! I got sick :( But I will try and update faster now that I am better!**

**In this chapter I took it upon myself to make Theron's and Zathrian's clans to have known each other awhile. **

**Read*Review!**

**~Much Love, LadySerenade**

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Chapter 13: Among the Dalish  
**

"Good morning precious," The elf said as he entered Kallian's little room. She sat up, but was not in a fighting mood today. She was feeling sick, and last night Dellie had paid her a visit, and it had caused her two blackened eyes. After a week in this place, her famous spirit was waning.

"I see you had a good night," He said, but through her blackened eyes, she could see that there was a sort of compassion there. That did not stop her from trying to slap his hands away several times before she let him examine her face.

"They will heal alright," He surmised and grabbed the new chair that was in the room and set it next to her pallet on the floor. He sat there looking down at her.

"They're not coming for me," Kallian told the other elf. Every day she told him that, yet every day he insisted they would.

"They will come," He said right on queue.

"I think you over estimate my importance to the them," She told him.

"No I suspect I estimated it perfectly."

"They have more important things to worry about, like you know, the Blight!"

"They will come," He insisted one more time.

Kallian wanted to reach up and smack the look off his face, but she couldn't summon the energy. She did not just say her words to try and make him believe them, it's what she believed. She did not think her fellow Wardens would come for her, there were more lives at stake than just that of a little red headed elf.

**((O))**

They had been wondering the forest for days. Theron insisted that you did not simply find a Dalish clan, they would find you. So they had been wandering in the Bercillian, praying that they would be found soon. It was early on this day, with an eerie fog all throughout the forest, and almost too quiet. Not the usual sound of birds and wildlife filling the air.

"Maybe they're on holiday," Daylen joked when Morrigan commented on the silence.

"Do you purposely try and sound like a fool?" The witch asked him.

"Sometimes yes, I was just hoping for a smile from the beautiful Wilder."

Morrigan did not smile, but her eyebrows did lift slightly in amusement. That was enough for Daylen to laugh and smile at her. She did not appreciate this.

"Where is Theron?" Wynne asked. They all stopped, noticing for the first time that the elf had not said anything in many hours. How could they possibly have lost him?

"Theron!" Daylen called into the forest.

There was no human response, but there was the chilling howl of a wolf. The mages all prepared themselves for battle. Another howling noise came from behind them, and that's when they saw their attackers. Morrigan seemed to be the only one not shocked by the visage of Werewolves. She morphed herself into a bear and tackled the closest one, launching them all into the fight.

Daylen called lightning down from the sky as Wynne hurled Arcane bolts at the creatures. They could not be fast enough however, and knew they would soon be overrun. They had to keep fighting though, and avoid those teeth. None of them wanted to fall prey to that kind of a curse.

One of the wolves jumped on Morrigan's back, while another attacked her from the front, dragging the bear down to the ground. Daylen was about to jump to her defense when they suddenly fell over dead. He did not have time to pause at the miracle, but did see that they had arrows planted firmly in their skulls. Even more arrows rained down on them and the mages could see quick flashes from the trees.

The wolves made for a retreat, and Daylen counted his blessings. He heard a familiar chuckle from somewhere above him, and looked up to see Theron casually sitting in a tree. He swung down and landed next to his friend.

"I told you the Dalish would find you," He said and gestured around, as a dozen or so of the elves emerged from the foliage.

"About time you did something useful," Daylen joked and followed the elves back to their camp.

Things in the Dalish camp however, were not as they expected. There was a makeshift infirmary full to capacity with bleeding men and women. Many of them looked feverish and mad, and the mage could only guess at what happened to them.

"So these are your Grey Warden friends then Lethallin?" A strange older man asked the group. He was bald, with elaborate tattoos and had beautiful mages robes on.

"Keeper Zathrian, this is Daylen, Morrigan, and Wynne."

"Welcome, and I am sorry you could not have seen the Dalish at a better time. I must speak with Theron alone for a moment, but the rest of you feel free to settle."

A small blonde elf showed them to the camp fire and sat with them. She was quite beautiful, with delicate tattoos on her forehead. She explained to them that she was the Keeper's first.

"What exactly is the Keeper?" Daylen asked her.

"The Keeper is the leader of his or her clan. He is peacekeeper and protector, and is to be knowledgeable in elven lore."

"So you are the next Keeper?"

"Yes I am," She said and looked back at where the Keeper was talking to Theron. There was something in her eyes that Daylen did not miss. It was something between longing and sadness. She looked back and blushed slightly that the mage had noticed the look.

"Do you know Theron?" He asked her.

"I knew him many years ago," She said and smiled into the fire.

"There seems to be a story behind that," The mage commented. Morrigan and Wynne had gone off into a long and loud debate about the Circles methods. Daylen laughed to himself, for he knew better than to have that particular conversation with Morrigan. But no one was paying attention to Lanaya and him.

"I would love to hear it," He pressed.

"Have you ever heard of the Arlathvhen?" She asked him.

"Can't say that I have."

"Every ten years the Dalish Clans meet together. We trade stories and the Keepers report on things amongst their own clans. It's a very powerful thing, and that's when I last saw Theron. About eight years ago."

"Was he always so sullen?" Daylen joked.

"He has many things to be sorrowful about," She said sadly.

"Somehow I think I knew that," The mage admitted.

"Both his parents died when he was young, his best friend died, and he lost the love of his life."

"How do you know all this?"

"I've said too much," She said and shook her head.

"Theron is a treasured friend of mine," Daylen told her. She sighed and continued her story.

"When the Blight first began, news of the slaughter of Ostagar reached us, and a few days later his clan passed by us. They stopped to warn us of the oncoming darkspawn, and to share their sorrows with us. Theron had been sent off to become a Warden, and his best friend Tamlen had died. The Dalish always carry burden with us, but some carry more than others," She said and looked back at Theron again.

"During that last Arlathvhen, Theron was in mourning. His young betrothed, Nyla, had just been killed by Templars. Her father was an apostate mage who was raised and lived among the clan. A brilliant elf, and he was never a danger to anyone, but sometimes even we cannot hide from Templars. Nyla died protecting her father, and he was taken anyways."

"I had no idea," Daylen whispered.

"We all have things we must bear, but I cannot help but think he has more than his share of burdens. He deserves happiness."

Keeper Zathrian and Theron approached them then. Theron's face clouded over when he noticed how much trouble Daylen had meeting his eyes, but he did not comment on it. He just explained to them that the clan was under curse from the Werewolves. The only way to break it would be to venture and find a wolf named Witherfang. If they brought his heart back to Zathrian, he could break the curse on the hunters and the Wardens would have their allies.

It was agreed upon that they would help them, so they ventured back into the forest. When they were far enough inside Theron pulled Daylen to the side.

"So she told you," He stated.

"Yes."

"I don't need any pity from you," Theron said.

"Good, cause you will find none here," Daylen told him and went back to walking. Theron fell into step beside him and smiled at his friend.

**((O))**

Elissa, Sten, and Cammi were camping outside a small village not far away from Redcliff. The barmaid Bella had admitted to seeing Kallian in the tavern on the day she went missing. She said she sat at her usual corner booth, but that was all she knew. She had been doing stock in the back, and when she came out into the main tavern Kallian was already gone.

The patrons there at the time were only a few of the knights, and none of them had bothered to notice the elf. So they had no real leads. Sten suggested that they check all the outlying villages first, and then they would go from there. He had no intentions of giving up on Kallian, and his faith in finding her made Elissa believe that they really would. Before bed that night, she prayed to the Maker to help them find their lost friend.

As she drifted into sleep that night, she dreamed of the Guardian again.

_Elissa sat in a strange temple. The walls were made of a brilliant colored stone, and it was lit by a beautiful chandelier high above her. There was a golden symbol of Andraste on the wall in front of her and enormous potted plants in the corners. _

_The man with his strange armor came and sat next to Elissa on the bench. _

"_You called me back when I was dying," She said to him. _

"_Yes."_

"_And when my companions were in trouble in the Tower, you made me dream of them didn't you? You wanted me to help them."_

"_Yes."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_You must guard your companions Elissa Cousland, and you must find Kallian." He said to her. She was shown a vision of Kallian lying on a pallet, with another elf watching over her. He had a tattoo on one side of his face. The room was tiny and did not give away much, but there were strange yellow and black flowers on a small table in the corner. _

Elissa woke slowly and was confused. Had she just had a vision? She sat up and wiped a tiny bit of sweat off her forehead and looked around. Sten was tending to his armor. Would he even believe her if she told him that she just dreamed that she saw Kallian and perhaps her captor?

"Sten, how much do you know about flowers?"


	15. Give and Take

**Sorry if there are any typos and stuff in this chapter, I wrote it at six in the morning! Hope you enjoy my surprise!**

**as always guys, much love!**

**~LadySerenade**

**

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Chapter 14: Give and Take  
**

They were hopelessly lost. For days they had been wandering in circles, and they had encountered the wolves only a couple of times. Strange things happened in this forest. The very trees were alive. It waned on the groups nerves, and when they reached a wall of fog, Daylen's patience wore extremely thin.

"Is it safe to touch?" Theron asked.

Daylen did not wait; he walked headlong into the fog. They all waited for him to tell them if it was safe or not. Morrigan actually laughed when he walked back out of the fog a few feet away. The look on his face told them that it had not been his intention. He turned and went back in, and again came back out a few moments later. It was quite comical how he did this many times.

"Alright I know my sense of direction is not that bad," He stated.

Morrigan approached the wall and waved her hands in front of it. Nothing happened and a knowing look came over her face.

"This is very old magic," She stated. Wynne nodded in agreement.

"Well can you bring it down?" Theron asked.

"No, only the entity that put up the barrier can bring it down again."

"Well then let's find this entity, this place is starting to give me the creeps," Daylen stated and led the group away from the wall of fog.

They wandered for awhile, not knowing really what they were looking for. Would it be an old powerful mage? Would it be Witherfang? Theron, who had been scouting up ahead ran back to the group, with a strange look on his face.

"What is it?" Daylen asked him.

"There is a small camp up ahead, with some kind of forest dweller in it. He seems…" Theron's voice trailed off and he hand gestured that the man was possibly crazy.

"Then he must be the one who put up the barrier!" Daylen said and they followed the elf back to where the man was. He was walking back in forth and did not look up at their approach. He was swinging his hands wildly, like he was fighting the air. The group was hesitant to approach him. There was a small tent, a bed roll, and a hollowed out trunk of a tree.

"This is no ordinary man," Wynne warned the others. Indeed there was an enchanted, if gnarled, staff on his back. The man was a mage.

"Should we ask him about the barrier?" Theron asked the other mages.

"Do you think we would even get a sane answer from him?" Daylen said and gestured back to the man who now seemed to be dancing.

Theron looked at the hollowed out trunk and something caught his eye. There was something inside of it. He reached his hand in, followed by a shrill little scream. The forest man paid attention to them then and charged at Theron, knocking him away from the trunk.

"What is wrong with you?" Theron yelled at the man and walked back to the trunk.

"Oh questions you know! But stealing treasure you must not!" The mad man said. Theron seemed bemused buy this man, under estimating that he had any real power, he reached his hand back into the trunk.

The man screamed again, but did not push Theron as he pulled an acorn from the trunk. All this trouble for an acorn? The man was angry though, and none of them would have guessed that he was capable of summoning demons.

A rage demon bubbled up from the ground behind Morrigan, and as she fought it shades attacked the other two mages. That left the crazy hermit for Theron. The hermit was powerful, but the elf noticed he was easily thrown off balance. This would disrupt his spells, so Theron relied on his superior speed to maneuver around the man and avoid his magic.

When he finally managed to sink his curved short swords into the man's chest, the mages had already succeeded in their battle as well. They all just stood still for a moment before Daylen started the laughter.

"Well this has proven to be most fortuitous, for at least now we have the mighty prize of an acorn!"

**((O))**

Kallian was going insane in this small room. Her eyes had faded to light bruising, but the rest of her body was in constant aches. Apparently Dellie found it suitable to beat her whenever the woman found it convenient. Kalli could not help but wonder if this was what it would feel like to be a slave in Tevinter.

Many times she wanted to hit Dellie back, but without the element of surprise, and with no weapons it was difficult to get the advantage. The woman was a muscular for a Shem woman, and she had no idea how strong she was, which made it worse. She would often just storm in during the night and grab Kallian out of her bed and do whatever seemed to amuse her. The elf knew that fighting back would only make it worse, but sometimes it hurt her even more to have to submit to this.

She missed the others sorely, and every day it became more evident that they were not coming for her. She missed Faren's company, Theron's pride, Daylen jokes, and Sten's teachings. Even the others, she would do anything to have them with her during this time.

When the door opened Kallian sat in the corner and covered her face. It was only Zevran though, and every day the look on his face was more sympathetic. She hated him. It was all his fault that she was here, and every night she planned elaborate ways of how she should have killed him that day in the tavern in Redcliff.

"Something to eat," He said and put a tray on her small table. He always brought fresh flowers with him, which made her want to kick him in the face. The audacity of this act shamed her. Why should he bring flowers every day to a girl who was sitting here, being tortured and the only fate that awaited her was death?

He ordered another chair be brought in and he sat at the table, inviting her to join. Some of her famous spirit flared up inside her for a moment and she went to the table and flipped the tray in the air, sending its contents flying into the wall. Zevran just sat there and laughed, and this sent her over the edge. She threw the table, and knocked over the other chair. Her eyes were streaming with angry tears as she tore apart her pallet and went into a full fit. When he tried to restrain her arms she turned and kicked him between the legs. When he bent over in the instant pain she kneed him in the head and sent him to the ground.

The guards in the hall had heard the commotion and came in to restrain the wild girl, but Zevran waved them off. He assured them everything was okay and told them to go take a break. Kallian just sat on the ground and cried her pretty little eyes out. But when the Antivan started setting the furniture back she became angry again. How dare he try to clean her mess? So she got back up and knocked the table back over.

Zevran laughed at this again, but this time when she went to hit him, he grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall. He had both of her hands above her head, and like so long ago, he pressed his body to hers. Kallian's tears would not stop though.

"Just kill me," She whispered in her brokenness.

Instead he leaned in to kiss her. She felt helpless at first, but then felt more. How could it be possible that she yearned for this? She hated this man, and he was responsible for all of this. But when he pulled his face away, she shocked herself by reaching forward and kissing him again. Her hands were slowly let down, and she used them to turn the tables, and pin him against the wall. This time it was her body she used to press into him. A coy smile spread across his face, like he knew all along this was going to happen.

He no longer wore his armor when he came to see her, so it made it easier for her to all too literally rip the front of his shirt open. She looked down at his well toned body, but did not do more. She questioned herself for a moment, but was more overtaken by her desires. She planted more fervent kisses on him, until he lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist.

Zevran gently laid her down on her ruined pallet and removed the rest of his now ruined shirt. He heard a familiar sound that he knew all too well, even more than the sighs of passion, and that was the unsheathing of a blade. Kallian had found the knife he always kept on his person and she held it to his throat. He looked down into those eyes, wondering, if not hoping that she would do it. She looked so confused and helpless, but he could not deny her beauty.

The eyes hardened as she looked up at him, but for some reason unfathomable to her, she did not do it. Instead she nicked his cheek before setting the blade aside. He laughed shortly and pulled her tunic up over her head.

**((O))**

The man had told the strange giant and the girl that the village was called Harper's Fall. Long ago it was a military outpost of the Bannorn, but had fallen from its former glory. None of that interested the duo; they were here for an entirely different reason. They had an entire meadow full of strange yellow and black flowers right outside the village.

"A pair of elves?" He asked and looked at them strangely.

"Yes, a tan blonde elf with a face tattoo and a small red headed elf," Elissa said losing her patience with the simpleton.

"We don't get many elves around these parts, unless they are looking for the Dalish. You should try one of the bigger villages," He said.

"No! They are here I know it. If someone wanted to hide around here, say from an angry giant and a Grey Warden, where would they go?"

"You're a Grey Warden?" The man asked in awe. In hindsight Elissa realized she probably should not have said that. This man could be loyal to Loghain's cause.

"Well…" She trailed off.

"Maker bless you child! If them elves is hiding from you they may be at the ruins of fort Harper. If you follow the stone path out of the village you will run right into it."

"Thank you," Elissa said, and genuinely meant it. Hopefully with any luck, she would find Kallian in the fort. She just prayed she was safe.

* * *

**So how many of you expected that? hahaha first hook up of this fic :P Drop me a review!**


	16. Welcome Home

**SORRY! Just to let everyone know my computer crashed, and I am using my friends to try and update this story. So ppl can calm down with that, I'll try and do the best I can without my computer! (:**

**Read*Review**

**~LadySerenade**

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**Chapter 15: Welcome Home  
**

"Well you lot have fun, I'll wait out here," Faren said when they had finally reached the gates of Orzammar.

"You do not wish to go in?" Lelianna asked.

"Technically neither of us is allowed back in," Duran told Alistair and Lelianna.

"You are Grey Wardens now, you may go where your duty entails," Alistair told them sounding strangely official. He led them to the gate and showed the guards there the treaty obligating the aid of the king. They warned that they would find little help inside, but still let them pass.

They walked through the hall of Paragons, and each of them reacted differently. Duran had his dwarven pride at this, Faren laughed at something he would never become, and Alistair and Lelianna were amazed at the architecture.

When they entered the actual city, they stumbled upon a fight. Each side was arguing who the next king should be, and apparently the options were a man named Harrowmant and a man named Behlen. The city guard broke up the fight, but not before Alistair heard the name Aeducan. The rest of the group didn't miss it either.

"Your brother I assume?" Alistair asked Duran.

"The only one left," Duran stated.

Just then Faren ran off. The others called after him but the man had a surprising speed. They caught up to him as he caught up to his charge. He was hugging a pretty dwarven woman with bright red hair that she kept pulled back off her face, which had a dwarven brand on it. The rest of them stood around him as he laughed with the woman.

"Faren?" Alistair asked politely interjecting.

"I'm sorry, everyone this is my sister Rica. Rica these are my fellow Grey Wardens."

"Brother, it is an honor to have you back here. You must come to the palace with me, there is someone you should meet. Well two someone's actually," Rica said beaming.

"The palace?" Both Duran and Faren asked in unison.

"I never told you who my wealthy suitor was Brother, it is my lord Behlen Aeducan."

No one said anything. It was like this woman had just sprouted three heads in front of them. Alistair was looking to Duran, who would most noticeably have a reaction to being asked back to the palace. Someone had to start explaining things.

"Sister, I do not think I can go back to the palace," Faren started.

"And why not?" She asked. She looked around at the others for the first time and her eyes widened in recognition when she gazed upon Duran.

"I see," She said quietly.

"Go," Duran urged him.

"I—"

"Just go to the palace, meet with whomever it is your sister wants you to meet with and I will busy myself around Orzammar," Duran told him.

"We have to remember that we are here for the treaties," Lelianna diplomatically interjected.

"Treaties?" Rica asked.

"Yes, we are here to collect upon promised troops from the King," Alistair said.

"Why would you need troops from the dwarves?"

"Sister, the Blight is upon Ferelden, and if we do not get aid, then many lives will be lost," Faren told her.

"Perhaps Behlen may help you," She suggested.

"What are our other options?" Alistair asked.

"The King died with no clear heir, but the two men running are my lord Behlen and lord Harrowmant."

"Well that is ridiculous, even I know that the thrown should stay within Aeducan hands," Duran told the others.

"His name has been marred," Rica told Duran.

"What else has my foolish baby brother done?"

"There are whispers about the things your father felt on his death bed, and many of them involve sorrow for a condemned son."

"So I am the thing that ruins his name. How glorious," Duran said and smiled broadly.

"He also has some controversial views on things. Harrowmant's only claim is that he says King Endrin named him his heir on his death bed."

They let the information soak in, but it was Duran that said they would support his brother in something of this magnitude. Alistair and Lelianna could not pretend to understand why he wished it so, or what his motives were, but they let him make this choice. Rica admitted that they would not just let Duran back into the royal palace with open arms, he would have to prove his loyalty to House Aeducan. Duran laughed at this but did not argue and he was directed to Vartag. The man would tell him what he would have to do to gain his brother's trust. Like there could ever even be such things among dwarven nobles.

**((O))**

Kallian cried herself to sleep that night, and felt dirty and ashamed. She kept thinking how she should have killed him; she should have just ended his life. She tried to puzzle out why she had not, but every way she looked at it, nothing made sense. Maybe she just yearned for hands that were not going to hurt her anymore, but even though she had lain with him, nothing would change. He was still an assassin and she was still counting the days until her death. She tried to think if it was true compassion in his eyes, or if she had wished it so bad her mind made it so.

In the darkness she felt the ring she still wore on her wedding finger. She could not find it in her heart to ever remove it. Would he have taken her away from all this? Could it be possible that she could be in her own home with him right now? Maybe there would be a child on the way, and Shianni would visit every day. She would be in no danger. But no, Nelaros was dead, and he would always be dead.

She awoke the next day puffy eyed and decided she might as well clean up the room she had destroyed. There was broken glass on the floor and the furniture was everywhere. She had fits like this when she was little and her and her cousins would fight. It had been years since she showed such a large display of anger.

When she had the entire room cleaned Zevran came to see her. He was very quiet as he set her breakfast and flowers on the table, just as he had every morning. It seemed wrong to Kallian, and it made her feel even worse. Never in her life was she a sad person, but today more than any other day, she wished she was dead. She did not want to feel this way anymore. Weeks in this enclosed room, with no signs of hope had frayed her nerves till there was virtually nothing left.

"I want to go outside," Kallian told the man. He looked at her with amusement, but did not respond to her request. So she told him again.

"I want to go outside."

"What will this accomplish?"

"I need fresh air. Please?" She begged him with her eyes. He stared at her, obviously weighing if this was a wise option or not. Maybe in the beginning when she had more spirit it would have been a bad thing, she would have tried to run. But now she had no energy for such escape attempts, and Zevran decided it was safe to take her outdoors.

He let the guards know that he was going to take her for a short walk. When she finally stepped out of her room she noticed they were in a broken down building. Giant expanses of the ceiling were missing, and walls were crumbling everywhere. She suspected her room might have been the only one fully intact.

Outside it was a beautiful day, and this lifted her spirits a little. The wind was crisp but pleasant, and there were no clouds in the sky. She appreciated the flush she felt coming to her cheeks and the feeling of grass underneath her rather than the stone that had so long been her companion.

"I should have killed you," She told the elf.

"I'm quite shocked you did not," He admitted to her.

They walked in silence a bit more, but then Kallian heard a sound that instantly brought her back to different days. There was the eerie howl of a mabari in the distance. When she heard it again, she realized it might not have been as distant as she thought. Then there was screaming from back inside the fort. She did not even want to think such a dangerous thought, but was it possible? Had the wardens finally come for her?

Zevran unsheathed his blades and dragged her back to the crumbled building, ready for a fight. There was no fight to be had. It shocked Kallian to see all the dead bodies of the guards. They had died in that short amount of time, surely they had come for her. There was a low dangerous growl behind them, and Kalli's heart soared to see Cammi standing there, even with her ferocious teeth barred and at the ready.

Zevran backed up a few steps, trying to stay clear from the dog, but made a strange gurgling sound. Kallian turned to see a sword through his chest. The Antivan fell to the ground and died instantly, having been pierced through the heart. Kallian kept screaming for some reason, but had to come to her senses. She had to do something more than just stand here. Was she still asleep? Was she dreaming? She looked up at a hulking figure. It was Sten.

"Kadan?" Sten asked and put his sword back in his sheath.

Kallian threw her tiny arms around his waist and cried into his stomach. Sten was still, for he knew not how to react to such a display. The poor little thing was shaking because she was crying so hard.

"Sten!" Elissa called from somewhere behind him. "Where are you?"

"I am here," His voice rumbled back. He scooped Kallian up like a kitten and carried her out into the open air where Elissa and Cammi were waiting. Elissa ran to him and helped him set Kallian in the grass. The little woman continued to cry, but then smiled and hugged Elissa to her.

"I thought you would never come."

"Kallian what happened to you? Are you alright?" Elissa asked trying to check for damages. She noticed a lot of bruising and such, but could not truly tell if it was deeper than that.

"I…" Kallian stopped. How could she tell them what happened? She just sat there and cried more. She had felt ashamed before, when she thought she was going to die, but now she had to live with those choices.

"What did that man do to you Kalli?"

"He was hired by Loghain to kill the last Wardens. I was only a trap to lure the rest of you to me."

"Yes but did he…" Elissa let the question hang open in the air. Kallian's silence made Elissa think the worse, but for now the little woman was contented to let her think that. She had no way to explain what really happened. She never wanted to feel so helpless again, but for right now she felt protected.

* * *

**I hope you will all bare with me for the Orzammar bits, for it is the origins I am least familiar with, but I will try and make it work out for the best. As for the choices I am making with my characters, know that it is very hard to please everyone but I am trying my best to write a balanced and engaging story. If you think the ENTIRE story is ruined because of a certain choice then maybe I have not done a good enough job with this. Now I will continue to try and be interactive with you guys as an audience, while at the same time keeping my vision for where I wanted this story to go. Now you might not agree with every struggle I put these characters through, but I never wanted this story to be cheesey and story book, I would rather have it gritty and as realistic as such a fantastical world can get. A special thanks to Albino Wings, shadowwolf, and JM Black, who have all been faithful followers and really got this story going, and to Zaaab who gave me some super special confidence in this story. To everyone else who loves this story and reads it every update thank you as well! I hope to keep writing something you can enjoy! Much love guys, LadySerenade (rant over XD)  
**


	17. Brothers

**YAY! Guess whose computer is fixed? Haha thank you so much for your patience guys, I hope to reward it richly!**

**Read*Review**

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**Chapter 16: Brothers  
**

There were tears of pride in Faren's eyes as he looked down at his nephew. He was such a tiny little thing. Rica bent down and picked up the infant and laid him in his uncle's arms. It felt to intimate a moment for the others to watch. Alistair and Lelianna made lame excuses to leave the room, and Duran pretended to be reading a book in the corner, rather than see what was happening.

They had decided to support Behlen, but Duran made his own personal decision to keep his identity to himself for now. Everywhere he went he wore some kind of mask or full face helm, saying always that he had a horribly disfigured face. People never asked him to remove it, but he was becoming a bigger spectacle this way. He knew it would be better than to go around announcing who he truly was.

Now they were finally granted an audience with Prince Behlen, mostly thanks to Rica and the small deeds they did to try and earn the trust of the man. Tonight he would dine with the Wardens and everything would be set. They would ask for their troops, present the treaty, and high tail it out of Orzammar. Duran wanted out of there fast, but something kept tugging at his mind that this was far from how things would play out. He was nervous about the dinner, not quite knowing how he would react to being in his brother's presence.

"He's perfect Rica," Faren said and set the baby back in his crib. His sister smiled at him.

"You think so now, but wait till he grows up and starts more trouble than even you were capable of big brother," She said teasingly.

"At least he will do so in freedom, no brand on his face."

They shared a silent moment, each reflecting on their own brands, and what they have put them through over the years.

"How is mother taking to the palace?" Faren said to break the silence. It achieved his goal and they both laughed.

"Doing better without your constant pranks on her. You almost used to make me feel bad for her," Rica said, to receive a shocked look from her brother.

"What? I said almost," She laughed.

A servant entered the baby's room and announced that the Prince was ready for supper. Shortly after Alistair and Lelianna rejoined the group, and as one they went to their meeting with Behlen Aeducan.

**((O))**

Daylen lounged lazily by the fire. Things had slowly fallen apart in the forest. They had found the wolves' lair, deep within old ruins, but had not yet entered. Theron was the first of the group to get separated from the others, and then slowly Wynne seemed to disappear as well. Morrigan and Daylen had searched for them, but they knew they were being hunted, and slowly rounded up by the werewolves. Tomorrow they would have to enter the ruins, just the two of them, and face down Witherfang.

"You look at ease," Morrigan said and rejoined him at the fire.

"What will worrying myself into another fit do for me? Besides make me think unclearly and put us in greater danger? We need at least one smart mage going into this tomorrow," He said and smiled, waiting for the oncoming brigade.

"Perhaps you are right," Morrigan said. Daylen looked up at her in shock.

"And perhaps you are too easy to disappoint," She said and added more kindling to the fire. Daylen did feel disappointed that she did not challenge him, for he so lived for the challenge.

"I wonder if they found Kallian yet," he mused aloud.

"Why should that be of our concern, we have our own missing persons to be contented with," She said angrily.

"I know, but it breaks my heart to know that the pretty little thing could be in danger," Daylen said, and faked a yawn to hide his smile at the look on Morrigan's face. He was not disappointed this time.

"Oh please, she has ridiculous hair and the body of a small child."

"Maybe I find that attractive in a woman," Daylen teased.

"She is no woman," Morrigan said.

"Well then perhaps Elissa, even you cannot deny her beauty."

"Too delicate."

"You are too hard to please."

"Are you?" Morrigan asked with eyes that could bring a man to his knees. She stood and sauntered into her tent, shooting a glance back to Daylen. Inside he might be worrying half crazy about his missing companions, but tonight he would lay down his troubles at the feet of this dark goddess. Looking at her inside the enclosed space he thought to himself, _or maybe I will gain a whole new trouble. _

**((O))**_  
_

"How is she holding up?" Arl Eamon asked as he dined with the newly returned search party. Isolde chose to dine alone, but Teagan was there, sitting across from Elissa and Sten.

"It's hard to say, and she won't talk about what happened to her. She mostly just sits on her balcony," Elissa told the group.

They had returned two days ago, and Kallian's spirits had still not fully returned. Her smiles seemed fake, and she jumped every time someone tried to touch her. She also hated staying indoors, and took to long walks whenever she had the energy. Elissa wanted to help her but it seemed like there was nothing she could really say, and Sten was his usual silent self ever since they returned.

"We should do all we can to help her," Elissa whispered almost too quietly for anyone to hear.

After dinner Eamon retired to his rooms, and Elissa went with Teagan to the library. Sten took Cammi and went to Kallian's rooms. She was sitting on her balcony as usual, but this time with her eyes closed. Sten wondered if she were perhaps asleep or meditating, so he approached her silently.

"Come to check up on me?" She asked, sensing his arrival.

"Are you well?" He asked shortly.

Kallian turned away from him and looked up at the cloudy sky. "Of course I am Sten."

"I do not understand."

This made her look back at him. "What don't you understand?"

"I killed the man that hurt you, why are you still lingering on it?"

"It's more complicated than that Sten," Kalli snapped.

He sighed as if he were speaking to an unruly child. "Life is not complicated Kadan, it is simple. We only say things are complicated because we are afraid."

Kallian wanted to hit him, not out of anger, but more for the fact that he spoke the truth. She went back inside and let him follow her back to her room. She did not know what to say. Could she just get over what happened? She told herself millions of times on the walk back to let it go, but being confined like that, stirred something inside her that she could not erase. Elves were always oppressed, but Kallian always believed she was different. She was talented and deadly, and above all else she valued her freedom. It had so easily been taken from her, and even now, in this castle with people who loved her, she was still trapped back in that tiny room. He had stolen her freedom and his death did not give it back to her.

"I don't know what you want me to say, and I don't know that I can move on," She tried to explain to the qunari.

"All of my life I have lived and sworn by the Qun, knowing things to be absolute truths. Then on that day so long ago in Lothering you made me a liar. You're a woman, who fights and lives with honor, no matter how many times I tell myself it cannot be true. You have proved to be worthy, but if you let this hold you back, you make me a liar twice." With that Sten left the room. It was a startling little speech, and left Kallian breathless for a moment. But she recovered quickly and chased Sten into the hallway. She grabbed his arm and made him face her.

"I bet I'm still faster than you at hot pegs," Kallian said, naming the popular dagger tossing game. Sten almost always lost to her, but never turned down the challenge. That spark was back in those golden eyes of hers. Sten knew she just needed a little challenge of her own.

**((O))**

The dinner started out very silent, no one quite knowing how to start off the conversation. Duran wore a head veil, the others saying that he had a horrible disfigurement so that he would not have to show his face to Behlen. The guise passed for now, but who could tell how long it would last.

"Thank you for seeing us Prince Behlen. I don't mean to bring business to the dinner table but," Alistair produced the treaty and passed it down the grand stone table to Behlen, who looked it over silently. His face gave way no emotion, but he sighed and set the treaty aside.

"I see how important this is, but I am not in a position to help you."

They did not say anything for a moment.

"Is there a way that we could help you to be in such a position?" Lelianna asked him.

"Actually there is, you could show support for me as the next king."

"Our opinion would matter because?" Faren pointed out what everybody else was thinking.

"Your opinion might not help, but your actions might do a great deal. I can promise you this, if you help me secure my rightful place, then I will do everything in my power to assure that we fulfill this treaty," He said to them.

"What do you want from us? To assassinate Harrowmant? Bribe the Assembly?" Faren asked.

"Brother!" Rica snapped. Behlen held up a hand to silence her.

"Nothing so outrageous, just small favors that can be accredited to me. And one that you, Faren, might be more familiar with than the others."

"Are you sure it's not assassination then?" Faren asked, but this time Behlen noticed the wicked glint in his eye and laughed at the small joke.

"Do you still have contacts within the Carta?" Behlen asked Faren. The warden ducked his head in false modesty.

"I'm sure I could come up with something, what is it you require?"

"I want them shut down, in my name."

Faren snorted. "Oh yes no problem my Lord Behlen, I will just walk into Dust Town and ask them to please stop. Nothing like thousands of years of oppression to make a Duster obey orders."

"Get one of the servants to cut my brother off from the wine that makes his tongue so loose," Rica told Behlen and shot her brother a glare. Under his head veil Duran smothered a laugh.

"If you can shut down the Carta, in my name, then it can show the Assembly the power I can wield. I will have a one up on the usurper Harrowmant. Do this for me and I shall be inclined to do something for you."

"Last I knew the Carta was weak and without a leader," Faren mused.

"A woman named Jarvia now has a firm grip on the situation."

That did seem to spark a light under Faren, and he agreed to the task before anyone could truly think it over. Behlen was greatly pleased, and took his leave from the dinner table.

The rest of the company each took their own leave and were shown to guest rooms within the palace to rest for the night. Rica and Faren decided to stay up late, but the rest went straight to their beds for the night, being exhausted. When Duran shut his door behind him he finally removed his head veil and threw it on the floor. He didn't turn around to face the room however. He knew all too well what would be waiting for him there.

"I should have known you weren't half as stupid as I thought you to be," He said to the figured standing by his bed.

"I would know your thunderous footsteps a mile away big brother. The guise was silly," Behlen said and emerged into the light to be seen. Duran turned to face his brother, and look him straight in the eye.

"What do you want?"

"Just to know how you eluded death," Behlen said with something too much like a smile.

"The Grey Warden Duncan found me wandering the Deep Roads. I wasn't going to just lay down and die. I couldn't make life that easy for you."

"So that's it? Have you come to reclaim a life stolen from you?" Behlen asked.

"I'm glad to be rid of the life, and you out played me to earn it. I am a warden now, nothing more," Duran said. Behlen did not believe him even for a second, but he wouldn't show that weakness.

"You know they say father was sorry for your death. I say the man was crazy."

"He probably was," Duran stated. There was no emotion there.

"No anger?"

"Why should I be angry Behlen? The only thing that angers me was that you were the one that got to kill Trian, I should have loved to actually have done the crime I was condemned for," Duran said. They laughed at the macabre humor. Behlen started making for the door and then turned back.

"Well in any case, I guess it is a good thing you are not dead. Wouldn't want that poor child to not have a father."

Duran's breath left his lungs and he swung around to face his smiling brother.

"What are you talking about Behlen?"

"Now what was the whore's name?" Behlen muttered, stroking his chin. "Mabel? No that's not right."

"Mardy," Duran said, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"Yes that trollop. She came to the palace begging for status for her son, saying that his father was a noble Aeducan. But there is no Duran Aeducan written in the memories."

Duran backed his brother into the wall.

"This better not be a trick!"

"No trick brother," Behlen said pushing his Duran back.

"So you better be on your best behavior, and make sure I get on that thrown. That is, if you want your son to be adopted into this house."


	18. Death of the Carta

**Here is a longer chapter for you guys because you deserve it!**

**much love guys!**

**Read*Review**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Death of the Carta  
**

The group was nervous to be walking willingly into Dust Town, but Faren promised he would keep them alive. Duran noticed he didn't exactly say unharmed. The dwarves here looked at them with hollow or wicked eyes. It was easy to see why this place was called Dust Town, for everything in it seemed to be covered in the stuff, and that included the residents. Faren led them to a central fire where a couple Dusters sat. He tossed a woman a couple of silvers and asked for the rally point.

The woman smiled knowingly at Faren and bit the silver before she jerked her thumb back to a decrepit hovel. Her legs looked to be in horrible shape, but her spirit was there, and she had obviously known Faren from the earlier days. She warned him to be careful, saying the Jarvia's hold was more brutal than anything the Carta had known before.

When they got to the hovel Faren picked the lock easily and let the door swing open. It was black inside, with the windows barred, but they could all smell the smoke of a fire that had been put out not long ago. They entered silently and scoped out the rooms. When Alistair said there was nothing here, Faren silenced him with a look. He knocked three times on the wall, and then paused three seconds to knock one more time. Like magic five dwarves seemed to appear in the main room, holding torches. One openly gaped at Faren.

"By the stone! Faren! None of us ever thought you'd show round these parts ever again," The man said and reached out and clasped hands with Faren.

"I need a favor Roshka," Faren explained. The other men looked nervous.

"You saved my life in the mines, I owe you. Name the favor," the dwarf named Roshka told him.

"How loyal are you to Jarvia?"

The other men looked very uncomfortable at the way the conversation was turning, and one had his hands on his axe. Lelianna gently and swiftly knocked his hand away before the man pulled out his axe, but the other ones drew their own weapons and attacked the Wardens. Roshka protected Faren's head from a viscous blow and beat his mean back till the rest of them could maneuver to get their own weapons ready.

The four dwarves that attacked knew they were outnumber and outmatched and soon surrendered. Roshka ran one of them through with his sword, and told the others to kill these men. They would as soon rat them out to Jarvia. Alistair and Lelianna were hesitant about killing an opponent that surrendered, but Faren and Duran, who had less honor, killed the three remaining dwarves.

"Jarvia has none of my loyalty Faren, rest assured of that."

Faren laughed, "I knew there was still one Duster around here I could trust. Care to show us some hospitality?"

Roshka showed them into a concealed room to the side that held a large table laden with brew and small food stuffs. He made sure that the door was sealed behind them, and that's when the others noticed how they missed it. The 'door', was nothing more than a cut out in the wall. When they were all seated again Roshka relayed Carta news to the group.

"When Jarvia took over she did not do so kindly. She did a purge, and killed all the weak or useless members of the Carta. I count myself lucky that she did not see me as weak or useless."

"What happened to Leske?"

Roshka paused for a moment, long enough to let Faren know that it was not news he wanted to hear. "Slept his way right to her right hand," Roshka spat.

"The fool," Faren said quietly.

"So what is the favor you sodden Duster?"

"I'm going to shut down the Carta," Faren said, letting the statement wash over his old friend. He did not react as the others thought he would, instead he just laughed.

"Only you would be crazy enough to try that! How can I help?"

"Get me into the hideout."

"Somehow getting you in there makes me feel like I'm killing you."

"If we can't take out the Carta then what hope do we have of defeating the archedemon?" Alistair said, trying to reassure the dwarf.

"So it's truly a Blight then?" Roshka asked.

"It is, and if we don't take Jarvia out and get someone on that damned throne then no one will give us the troops we require for the surface," Faren told him. Roshka, whose brothers both left for the surface some time ago took on a bleak look.

"I'll get you into that hideout."

**((O))**

"You cheated Shianni!" Kallian pouted and sat in the dirt. Soris ran past with Taeodor and his brothers Pol and Mikael. Kallian wanted to play with them, but the boys never let Shianni and her play with them. This made her pout further.

"I didn't cheat butt face! You're just too slow!" Shianni said and sat next to her cousin breathless. They had been trying to see who could climb higher on the scaffolding next to the gate of the alienage. Shianni had knocked dust in her eyes; otherwise Kallian was sure she was going to win.

"I want a rematch!" She cried.

"No way! Let's go play dolls with Nessa instead!" Shianni said and took off running before there could be a debate about it. Kallian ran to catch up with her cousin. Nessa sat under the elder tree and played with her rag dolls. She scowled at Shianni and Kallian as they approached her.

"What do you want?"

"We wanna play," Shianni said and took up one of the dolls. Nessa stood up and tried to snatch it back, but was too slow.

"They're my dolls Shianni!" She shouted and tried again to grab them. She seized Shianni's wrist instead and started pulling her until she could grab her hair. Kallian pushed Nessa, but that only brought all three to the ground. There was kicking and biting and pulling of hair until Adaia came and put a stop to the fighting.

"Girls knock it off!" She shouted and grabbed her daughter out of the pile. Kallian squirmed but a good shake from her mother put an end to that. Shianni looked at the ground and pretended to be invisible.

"Shianni get home, its supper time and I heard your mother yelling for you."

Her cousin didn't need to be told twice, she took off running towards her home. Nessa's mother came and grabbed her daughter to go home too. That's when Adaia turned her daughter to face her.

"Can't a day go by I don't find you in a scrap?" She said and knelt next to her and straightened out her dress.

"Nessa started it!"

"I don't care who started it, now go find Soris and clean up for dinner," Her mother said and stood.

"Why does Soris have to stay with us all the time?" Kallian pouted again.

"Because, we're his guardians now. Go do as you're told young lady."

Kallian ran to find her cousin when a horrible screeching sound stopped her and brought her to her knees. A shadow cast itself over the Alienage and Kalli looked up to see a dragon flying low over the city. He landed with a crash a few feet behind her, crushing homes with elves still inside. Kallian screamed at the horrible noise it was making. He opened his mouth and set the elder tree ablaze. That's when someone grabbed her arm.

Kallian awoke with a start and lashed her dagger out at her assailant, striking him across the cheek. It was dark in the castle, but her open window shed a tiny light across her bed. Her attacker leaned close and grabbed her mouth. Panic struck her to the core until Sten's now bleeding face came into the moonlight. She stopped struggling, but the panicked feeling did not go away. He held a finger over his mouth, letting her know that she should remain silent.

He tugged her gently out of bed and flattened them against the wall behind the door. A few seconds later men stormed in her room, only three though. Sten let her go and attacked them from behind. Kallian was a heartbeat behind him. When they lay dead she heard more noise coming from down the hall.

When she ran out of her room, she saw Elissa, in her bed clothes also, emerge from her own room, blood smeared across her face and Teagan behind her. At the other end of the hall the Redcliff men at arms gathered. The captain bowed his head swiftly.

"They're all dead now it seems. Arl Eamon needs you in the throne room."

They followed the captain downstairs wordlessly and ran to the throne room behind him. There were men littered in the hallways, but none of them wore Redcliff colors. They were in liveries that Kallian did not recognize, but the colorless look on Elissa's face said that she recognized them. Isolde and Eamon stood by the fire, dressed as the others were in their night things.

"What happened brother?" Teagan said and approached them.

"They're what's left of a small rebellion against us from the Bannorn. Supporters of Loghain, who seem to know that we mean to threaten his regency."

"Those were men of house Harp and Whitfield," Teagan supplied.

"And Howe," Elissa added silently.

"I hope the others hurry back soon, where there is one attack like this, there will be more. We need to get the Landsmeet underway."

"We need a closer watch on the walls," Teagan advised. The captain took the hint and went to issue orders to his men. It was hard to guard an entire castle and village when they had lost so many knights in the search for the Urn. This made Elissa uneasy, and she realized that Eamon and Teagan looked uneasy as well.

When they were dismissed to go to bed Kallian turned to Sten. She had left a rather deep gash across his cheek that was still bleeding freely. She used the edge of her sleeve to try and wipe away some of the blood.

"I'll stitch it up," She whispered while her hand lingered on his face. She remembered herself and her company quickly however, and led Sten to the infirmary so she could fix the damage she had done.

**((O))**

Daylen awoke in the morning feeling bright. He smiled and rolled over, but the spot next to him was empty. He sat up and looked around, but he was alone in the tent. He dressed quickly and emerged into the camp. The fire had not been started and all was motionless.

"Morrigan?" He called out as loud as need be. There was no answer.

"Morrigan?" He shouted a little louder but still there was no answer.

Panic took hold of him for a moment before he got control of himself. He needed to keep a cool head, but it was a little difficult now that every member of this outfit was separated from each other. He tried not to think the worse; that they had all been killed by Witherfang. That made him launch into a million questions he didn't want to answer.

He packed up the camp efficiently, and set off into the ruins. There was little to no confidence that he would succeed now. A lone mage was not much use in a den of wolves. Still, he had to keep moving forward, there was more at stake here then just his life.

The inside of the ruins reminded him of things he had seen in books on the Imperium. He vaguely wondered if they were Tevinter, but the sound of low growling brought his attention back to the task at hand. A short distance away the ground dropped a level, and there were three werewolves fighting over a dead body there. He tried to sharpen the vision in his good eye to recognize the body, and was selfishly relieved to see that it had blonde hair. It wasn't, at the least, one of his companions.

Daylen knew he would have to lay low and evade, rather than go in spells blazing. He kept to the walls and used his magic to shield him as much as possible from view. He was not good at invisibility spells, seeing as how the Templars outlawed them. They were restricted magic within the Tower, for obvious reasons, but Daylen broke the rules now and again.

Sneaking around in the lair proved to be more difficult than he had originally planned. He was jumpy, and could barely hide his scent from the beasts, but coming face to face with a dragon was another deal all together. He froze in place as the monster snored lightly not two feet in front of him. In his haste and worry he had almost stepped right on the things snout. He was not as large as a high dragon , but this was no drake either.

A high pitched howl awoke the beast, his eyes snapping open and locking directly onto Daylen's half hidden form. The mage threw up a hasty wall of ice to block the instant flames, but it shattered instantly, making a horrible racket. The wolves would have heard that, so Daylen made no more efforts to be hidden anymore.

The dragon whipped its tail around to knock Daylen into the middle of the room. He crashed to the floor, but rolled backwards to avoid a second blow from that tail. The dragon roared more flames that were clumsily blocked by ice. Daylen needed to get his bearings. Just beyond the dragon he could see a small pool of water. He summoned the spears from the dead bodies around him and hurled them telekinetically at the beast. It dodged easily but did edge back towards the water. The mage then fashioned a large whip out of ice and lashed out at the dragon, like an Antivan lion tamer, until it stepped down into the water.

That was his moment. He surged forward, freezing the dragon into place. He used a mind blast to paralyze the great creature. Then when it slumped down, body limp, Daylen delivered the killing blow of pure magical energy right through the dragon's heart.

Daylen himself knew that, despite his drained mana from the spells, he could not linger here. He ran for the opening in the wall behind the dragon but was grabbed by a pair of werewolves. Another snapped his great jaws an inch from the mages face, and let out his own version of a laugh.

"Now we shall see how much loyalty the Dalish inspire!" The one with the snapping jaws jeered at him. Daylen made a face and mind blasted the creature to the ground. The two that were holding him threw him into the wall. He knew he would feel that great bruise later.

"Bind the mage!" Jaws snapped at the other two.

"It's always binding the mage! You must be related to Gregoir," Daylen shouted. He was the only one that enjoyed his cleverness. Jaws lashed out and clawed his face on his blind side. Then everything went black.

**((O))**

The fight had been hard, and they were already exhausted by the time they reached the room that held Jarvia. Alistair sported a beautiful black eye, and Duran was limping badly from a viscous blow to the knee cap. They could not rest yet however, for now only one woman remained in their way.

Faren opened the door and saw Jarvia standing in the center of a large room. She had ten members of her Carta still with her, and there on her right hand, was Leske. Faren wasn't shocked to see him, but the opposite could not be said.

"Faren Brosca?" Leske said in astonishment. He went to move forwards, but Jarvia grabbed him and kept him in place.

"Oh Leske, how you haven't changed a bit," Faren called to him as the all came into the room.

"Once an obedient Duster, always an obedient Duster," Jarvia spat.

"What's wrong woman? You seem to be shaky .Your Carta is dead, and like your master before you, I shall lay my blade in your throat!" Faren challenged.

"Stand down salroka," Leske said calmly.

"Oh shut up Leske," Faren said in distaste. "You'll be on your back in no time, just like you're used to."

Lelianna took that as her cue to shoot one of the Carta members right through the throat. He dropped dead, and another soon after before Jarvia and Leske had the sense to jump into battle. Jarvia was wickedly fast, but Lelianna kept her well trained eye on the Carta Leader. Faren himself jumped for his old friend Leske, locking blades with him in an instant. Alistair and Duran took care of the other members of the Carta.

"You don't wanna do this Faren; these were your people once!" Leske strained under the force of the interlocked blades. He broke away and maneuvered to get more room.

"The only people I care about are safely away from this filth!" Faren fought back. Leske had always been stronger than him, but Faren had learned many new things since joining the Wardens. He backed the other Duster into the wall, relying on the torch there to limit Leske's view. It worked, and as he shielded his eyes Faren went in for the killing blow. His daggers found nothing but air as he was tackled to the ground by Jarvia.

The tide of the battle started to turn in the Carta's favor then. Faren struggled on the ground with Jarvia, and Alistair was down for the count, sporting more bruises to his head. Duran fought vehemently to keep the Carta members at bay, but he was just one man, and they soon forced him down. Lelianna needed to think fast if she was going to turn this around.

Towards the back wall she saw a razor thin trip wire and barrels all around. She would be anything that they were explosive. She grabbed a torch from the wall and surveyed were here fellows were. "Duran get down!" She shouted and hurled the torch with precision towards the barrels. There was a numbing boom that knocked anyone standing to the ground, with ringing ears. The explosion was so close to the pillars that it buckled them easily. Now the entire cavern was rumbling.

Jarvia screamed out in fury but was silenced as the ceiling began to collapse. Faren used the opportunity to kick her away from him and run to help Lelianna grab Alistair. Duran too made his way towards the other wardens. Huge chunks of stone started falling down, and he knew soon the place would come down around their ears. "It's going to cave in! We have to get out of here!"

Jarvia had already been crushed, but Leske ran towards a door at the back. The wardens followed his trail to a tunnel that seemed to be leading up and out of the Carta caverns. They ran as fast as they can with Alistair in tow, seeing the opening not far ahead. They charged through the opening that led to another small and empty cave. Leske was already lighting a fuse that blasted a hole in the wall, beyond lay a small weapons shop.

The companions tumbled in after Leske, just as the caverns beyond completely caved in. The dust filled the shop, along with the high pitched wails of the shop keeper. "What have you done!" He screamed and opened the door to get the dust out. They were all thrown into coughing fits as they tried to catch their respective breath.

"You could have killed us all!" Faren said, but there was mirth in his voice as he clapped the clever Lelianna on the shoulder.

"A collapse like that would have got the attention of the city guard," Duran stated as they all heard marching footsteps not far away. Leske just sat in the corner and made no efforts to run, he knew he would not make it very far.

When the dust cleared and everyone knew they were safe, the guard took Leske off to prison. He gave one final look to his old running mate. "This could have been you salroka, if things were different."

Faren just let the guards take him away without saying anything, because deep down in his heart, he knew that was absolutely true.


	19. Dark Creatures

**As you guys all know me and action scenes don't get along, but in this chapter I tried really hard with the Broodmother. And idk why I'm struggling with these Orzammar bits, but I hope you all are enjoying them!**

**As always, much love guys. **

**Read*Review,  
~LadySerenade**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Dark Creatures  
**

Initially Duran was all for not letting Oghren join their mission into the deep roads, but the others thought he could be useful. Unlike his companions, Duran had known Oghren for years, and he never would like the disgusting excuse for a dwarf. Now, with his obnoxious language and his continuing insinuation as to things happening between the males and Lelianna, he knew that they were starting to regret letting him tag along.

The mission seemed pointless to him anyhow, and he was starting to think that his brother had purposely sent them on it to get rid of them. It was hard to keep up with the plots Behlen always seemed to be thinking, but by the end of this, Duran hoped that the tables would be turned. His mind was racing, yet drifting, at the same time. Thoughts kept going back to his explosive conversation with Mardy.

He had seen her in the streets of the Diamond quarter, keeping her head ducked low from the guard, but when she saw him, she wasn't afraid to make herself known. She accused him of leaving her, and not caring what happened to her. In truth he did not care what happened to her, for she was just a good night to him, but the child was a different matter. The boy was living with Mardy's mother near the markets. She wouldn't give any more information than that, and said she only would when Duran did right by her and fought for the child's worth. If he could be adopted back into the royal house, than Duran could see his son.

The Deep Roads were swarming with darkspawn, but they were making good progress. The dwarves were natural fighters of the creatures, as was Alistair. Lelianna picked up their tactics quickly and proved to be a hellion of her own. They made their way quickly through Caridan's Cross, but with no signs of Branka. They needed to find the woman, and while Oghren and Lelianna believed she could still be alive, the rest of them were not so hopeful.

"There it is, Ortan Thaig," Oghren said as they emerged from the black tunnel. It glowed faintly blue before them, and was just as massive as Caridan's Cross. There were already dead darkspawn in the Thaig, which meant that something already passed through here and killed them.

"You think Branka was here?" Faren said while checking the dead creatures.

"She would have come this way," Oghren said, and moved the party forwards.

It seemed that the giant Thaig crawlers did not like the presence of the darkspawn, and had in their own way declared war on them. It made for an easy passage of the wardens, who decided to go around the war, rather than join in and have to face both factions. Pushing forwards became harder though, as they came under attacks by golems and ghosts alike.

"Have any tricks like that one with Jarvia?" Faren called and dodged a blow from a stone golem. Lelianna looked around trying to come up with something to turn this losing battle, but came up with nothing.

"Oh I'm sure we will figure something out," She mused and shot another ghosts through its center, dispersing the creature. Oghren was a sight to see in battle, and almost too literally tackled a golem to the ground, hacking until the head came off of its body.

"Or we could just let Oghren take care of them," Lelianna jested.

**((O))**

Daylen woke up in a world of extraordinary pain. His whole face felt like it was one fire, and he could no longer see anything at all out of his damaged eye. His head swam with the effort but he forced himself to sit up. The growling of the werewolves was all around him, but it sounded different, almost soothing. Almost understandable.

"I am sorry things had to come to this young human," A beautiful woman's voice called to him. With much effort Daylen forced himself to stand and look into the room with his good eye. There standing under an opening in the ceiling was the woman who had spoken to him. The light made her appear to be glowing. She wore no clothes, but was entwined with vines from the forest, with long black hair that covered her chest. Her eyes were also black.

"Why am I here?" Daylen asked. His voice sounded thick and feral. He could not seem to focus and the burning in his face was becoming unbearable.

"You know why you are here, Zathrian sent you to slay Witherfang. I am the Lady of the Forest."

"You look more like the Lady of the Ruin to me," Daylen said, trying to get his voice to sound normal.

The entity ignored the joke. "The Keeper has not told you everything, and now your life depends on setting things right," She told him.

"My life?" Daylen said, but the pit in his stomach told him that he already knew.

"Now you must have Zathrian end the curse or you will be like us!" Swiftrunner growled. Daylen knew that's what it had come to, and it infuriated him. He lashed out with his magic, but his sight was so bad that he missed entirely. Swiftrunner went to hit him, but the Lady stopped him.

"No Swiftrunner, do not hurt this mage any further. You cannot blame him for his anger."

"You cursed me, and killed the Dalish! You're monsters!"

"You misunderstand human, Zathrian has hidden the truth from you."

"Then tell me the truth," Daylen panted and sank to his knees. The fire was spreading.

"Many, many years ago when Zathrian was young, he had two children. The hate between the humans and the Dalish could not be sated. In the forest men from the village did horrible things."

"We killed the boy," Swiftrunner explained. "The little girl was raped and murdered as well."

Daylen almost could not believe what he was hearing. It was too wrong. He knew that for some reason there was a natural hate between the Dalish and the humans, but he never saw it like this. There was hate much the same way between Templar and mage, but Daylen had never heard of a Templar raping and killing a mages children.

"They were blinded by hate, and Zathrian in his grief placed a curse on the entire village. They are as you see them now. They do not age, they only live as beasts in the pain of this curse all of their days."

"What is it you want me to do Lady? Because if you ask me, they brought this on themselves."

Swiftrunner put his muzzle an inch from Daylen's face. "I have suffered this since before you were born boy. The pain your feeling now I have felt everyday for a hundred years. I have paid my price and I am sorry for it. I was more a beast when I was a man then now."

The fire that burned in Daylen was enough to wish that he was dead. If he killed himself than these beasts could suffer on, but something in the back of his mind told him this wasn't right. Something told him that they had paid their price, and if he couldn't handle this pain for an hour, what right did he have to judge those who have born it for a lifetime.

"How do I end it?" Daylen asked, in a voice that sounded very small.

"Bring Zathrian here and I will summon Witherfang, and we will release your friends," The Lady told him.

Daylen's head swam with the sudden onslaught of rage. They had kidnapped his friends, one by one, making them prisoner here, all to end this curse. "How dare you!" He shouted, the noise sounding more like a howl then human speech. The pain was so unbelievable.

"The others were more thorough than necessary I admit, but the longer you wait, the more pain you will be in."

Daylen got to his feet shakily, using his staff as a walking stick. He walked from the room as steadily as he could manage, with no vision in one eye and a face on fire. The passage he took led him directly to the entrance of the ruins, were the man he was looking for stood so casually. He ran forward to see the damage done to Daylen.

"No!" He whispered in disbelief.

"Zathrian you have to come with me, you have to lift the curse, the Lady of the Forest won't summon Witherfang without talking to you."

"Is that what the spirit calls herself now? You do realize that she _is_ Witherfang don't you?"

"I don't care about the specifics!" Daylen raged. Zathrian turned to leave the ruin.

"You can't leave Zathrian, this is more than just their lives now! I'm going to turn into one of them! I will hunt you everyday of that life until I kill you if that's what it takes. But you will lift this curse!"

"I will do nothing of the sort!"

"I know what they did to you Zathrian, but now it's not just them suffering! It's me, it's Theron and the others, it's your own people! How can you call yourself a Keeper if you don't right by them?"

"Would you be saying the same thing, if it was your daughter and son you held lifelessly in your arms?"

"In the miracle that I had children, they would end up in the Circle of Magi. I would not even have the luxury of knowing them." Zathrian glared, telling Daylen that it was not the same thing. His anger had stemmed a lifetime, and still it seemed to be as fresh as if borne yesterday.

"I cannot do as you ask," Zathrian told Daylen, but this time did not make to leave the ruins.

"Your children's lives have been repaid, but if you let this continue, then you are just adding to your murder toll."

Zathrian agreed to go and talk with the Lady, if Daylen promised to protect him. The mage made that promise, even though he was certain he could not carry it out. The werewolves seethed in anger as the mage and Keeper returned, and as much as Daylen wanted Zathrian to ease this suffering, he did not want the wolves to kill the man right here.

"You have come," The Lady said and approached.

"And what trick is this, that the wolves keep composure?"

"I have soothed their nature, taught them humanity

"Humanity? They will always be monsters!"

Swiftrunner snapped at Zathrian, but knew better than to attack with the Lady standing so close. She gently pushed the werewolf back and stood to Zathrian, seeming to get angry. "You must put an end to this Zathrian. It's not just my life that is required to stop this curse."

Daylen looked to the Keeper. "What does she mean?"

"Zathrian's life force is in this curse, and as long as it lives so does he," The Lady explained.

"Then his death would end it!" Swiftrunner shouted and this time did make for the Keeper. Zathrian threw up a barrier that kept the wolf at bay. He turned frantic eyes to Daylen. "You see? They are still beasts! Protect me warden!"

"End the curse," Was all Daylen could manage to say. He fell to the ground, the fire now throughout his entire body. It felt like his insides were fighting to be his outside, and he was not sure how much longer his skin could hold everything in. He screamed out in pain and writhed on the ground, thrashing out at anything to stop the pain.

"Stop!" Zathrian shouted before the wolves could attack him. They stared at the Keeper. "I am an old man, and I never thought I would have the strength to end it. But now all I want is to be rid of this." He kneeled before the Lady of the Forest, and told her to summon Witherfang.

The wolves looked to her sadly, or in defense, respectively. She gently touched Swiftrunner's cheek. "I do not belong in this world, and now you shall be free."

The Lady turned herself into the great white wolf that was Witherfang with a giant burst of light. Every werewolf kneeled to her as she approached Zathrian. The only noise being made was the horrible sound of Daylen's screaming in the background. Witherfang set her muzzle against Zathrian's forehead, in a gesture to give this man strength, and just like that it was done. A blue light blazed from the duo, as the Keeper called an end to the curse, and so the lives of Witherfang and himself.

There was a brief panicked moment where everyone wondered if it had worked. Slowly but surely Daylen's screaming faded, and the wolves turned back into their former selves. Their eyes still held the wolfish glint to them, and there human walking seemed unsteady, but they knew now that they were free. At the back of the room Theron, Morrigan and Wynne emerged from among the branches, looking like waking up out of a long sleep. When Theron noticed Daylen laying on the ground he ran to him.

"He will be alright," Swiftrunner told him, and the rest of the group fled the ruins before the Dalish could come and kill them.

"Wynne?" Theron asked, looking back at the elder mage. She approached Daylen and took his face in her hands.

"These scratches will scar, and he probably won't ever be able to use that eye again, but Swiftrunner is right. I cannot sense the werewolf curse on him, so the Dalish will heal as well."

"What happened?" Theron asked his friend.

"Take me back to the people, I will tell you there. And someone has to let Lanaya know she is Keeper now."

They looked and noticed the dead body of Zathrian, lying next to a great white wolf.

**((O))**

"What is that thing?" Lelianna cried, while simultaneously dodging a tentacle that came out of the ground at her. The creature was hideous, with fat and tentacles everywhere, and the stench of a long dead battle field.

"Broodmother," Oghren said in disbelief, but had to snap out of it. The creature threw back its great head and released bile onto those standing close to her. It hit both Faren and Oghren, burning their skin wherever it made contact.

Alistair lunged in with his sword, going for the beast at its center. Instead of drawing blood, or even damaging the Broodmother, it absorbed Alistair's arm up to the elbow. He tried to jerk it back but popped his shoulder out of the socket with the effort and got sucked deeper into the mother's stomach. "Why me?" He cried and tried to push away, but only managed to get his leg stuck as well, throwing him horribly off balance.

"Keep your distance!" Lelianna called to the group.

"A little late to tell me now!" Alistair shouted back in anger.

Duran used his hammer to try and keep the tentacles coming out of the ground at bay. He could not seem to kill them fast enough. "Things can't get much worse!" He called, crushing one of the great limbs to the ground, earning a roar and more vile from the Broodmother. Faren and Oghren this time were safely out of her reach.

Ear splitting shrieking came from the tunnels, alerting the group that darkspawn Shrieks were on their way now. Faren shot a venomous glare at Duran, and then ran to secure one of the tunnels. Oghren ran to keep them at bay on the other side, leaving Duran, Lelianna, and the currently useless Alistair to find a way to deal with the Broodmother.

"Lelianna do something!" Alistair called as the vile seemed to be burning into this side.

"It's always me with the tactics then," The woman whispered to herself and looked around the cave for something to turn the advantage their way. "Watch out!" Duran said and shoved Lelianna into the cave wall, out of the way of the Broodmother's swiping arm. The dwarf swung his war hammer around to try and catch the mother off guard, but she was quicker than she appeared. She grabbed the end of the hammer and sent Duran flying into the air. The only good thing about that was that his landing took down two more of her deadly appendages.

Lelianna danced out of the way of her grasp, continued fighting, but mostly trying wildly to find some advantage. Alistair screamed out again as he was absorbed farther into the mother, and the Shrieks seemed to be breaking through Faren's guard. She had to think faster. The mother screamed out again, preparing for more vile. Lelianna let her gaze drift upwards to see that the cavern wall behind the Broodmother had a small ledge, and good footholds.

"Duran!" She called out, looking for the dwarf. Duran ran to her in a second. "Create a distraction, don't let the mother see me," She yelled over the din of battle. He nodded his understanding and charged the mother headlong.

He did not swing his war hammer at her middle, fearing for the same fate as Alistair, but rather pounded it into the ground an inch from her. She looked down at him and reached for him with those viscous arms. For once he thanked the stone for his height, and dodged back and forth, hitting the hammer into the ground to distract the Broodmother.

Lelianna used this to sneak around her, and begin her climb on the wall. It was nauseating to be this close to her, and smell her foulness, but Lelianna pushed on. She did her best to not slip, or get close enough to the creature to get sucked into her disgusting form. When she reached the small ledge she braced herself and drew her bow. She shot down into the back of the beasts head, burying the arrow to its fletching. The mother cried out in rage and threw both her arms back, ramming into the cave wall, and knocked Lelianna from the ledge. She grabbed another arrow and reached forwards to bury it in the Broodmother's head. She let out one last cry, and slumped forwards motionless.

Lelianna leaped from the creatures shoulders and landed roughly on the ground, feeling the impact all throughout her legs. Duran steadied her and brought her upright to her feet, as Faren and Oghren killed the last of the Shrieks.

"Help!" Alistair cried and reached his one remained arm out to the other, and strained to keep his head out. All four of them seized the arm and pulled with all their might, pulling him out with a sickening noise. They all crashed to the ground and watched as the Broodmother seemed to harden into stone.

"I'm burning these clothes," Alistair declared.


	20. Family Trait

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**Much Love ~LadySerenade**

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**Chapter 19: Family Trait  
**

Oghren looked at Branka's lifeless form on the stone. The others were out of breath from the skirmish and didn't say anything. Alistair was turning sickly pale and needed proper healing before his shoulder remained permanently damaged. Lelianna was the first to speak.

"It was the right thing Oghren."

"Stupid foolhardy woman, I always knew the Anvil would be the death of her."

"It was the right thing," Lelianna said again.

"Says you," Duran muttered. All three of the dwarves were amazed to find the lost Anvil of the Void, but Duran was the most vocal about not wanting to destroy it. It was a very part of dwarven culture, a priceless artifact, but he was over ruled. He could not help feeling slightly betrayed by this.

"Destroy it," Caridan told the others. Duran stepped forwards to do the task, and the others made the mistake of thinking it was for a sign of good faith. He looked at it longingly, but swung down his hammer and smashed the Anvil to pieces.

"I demand a boon for this Caridan," Duran told the great golem, and once Paragon.

"What is it you would ask of me, one who destroyed the Anvil?"

"Orzammar needs a King, and one favored by a Paragon."

"I shall make you a crown the envy of all, and you shall name Orzammar's next king, with the support of the Paragon Caridan."

When the task was done they made for the surface at all haste. They would rest for a day, get Alistair all fixed up, and then they would meet with the Assembly. Everything for once seemed to be going according to plan.

**((O))**

Lanaya closed her eyes as she heard the news. Zathrian had been Keeper for so long it seemed strange that she would now lead this clan. They sat there for long moments in silence. Theron reached forward and laid a gentle hand on Lanaya's arm. She looked up into his eyes with slight tears in her own.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked her. She looked around at the others and asked for a couple moments alone with Theron. They took their leave quietly. Once they were alone she turned back to the other Dalish.

"I don't think I can do this alone," She whispered. They walked around the camp, checking on the hunters, but keeping their distance.

"You've been preparing for this most of your life Lanaya, I know that you will make a great Keeper," Theron assured her. They stopped and sat under a tree. Lanaya said something, but Theron couldn't hear her. He looked at her puzzled and she asked a little louder this time.

"Would you stay with me?" She asked. Theron was more than a little confused.

"Lanaya, I don't think I can do that."

"I know you have your warden duties and everything, but the Dalish need your help. Your people need your help."

"These aren't my people," He whispered.

"When did that become true? All the Dalish belong to each other," She said. If she wasn't so soft spoken, Theron would have sworn he heard anger in her voice.

"Is there another reason you want me to stay here?" He asked, knowing it was the dangerous question. He had suspicions throughout the years of Lanaya's affections towards him, but he could not be sure. He had always had Nyla, but he was not blinded to Lanaya. He knew she was beautiful and graceful, and he knew that she loved him. He felt like a fool. He knew coming here would make him want her again, but it had been years. What life could he give her now?

"You and I both know the answer to that, I suspect," Lanaya told him.

"Say it," He pleaded her quietly.

"I won't say it Theron. Your heart wasn't open then, and I suspect it is not open now."

Theron shook his head. She was right, he had no idea what his heart thought of all this. What was it about the possible end of the world that brought people together? He got up to go, for he feared sitting here another moment longer next to her. She grabbed his wrist as he got up, and looked into his eyes with ones that could not bear to see him leave again.

"Stay." It was one simple word, but Theron felt his body obey. He removed her hand from his wrist and looked down at her. "I will have to explain this to the others." Lanaya jumped up in excitement and hugged him tight. She kept whispering thank you until he made her let go and made his way over to the mages. Daylen was the first one to object.

"What do you mean? You can't stay here Theron, we need you too, in case you have forgotten."

"I will be there when the wardens call, but I know this is what I am meant to do."

"You're staying because of a woman," Daylen accused. Theron glared at him.

"I'm staying to see to the hunters. The others will have collected upon all the treaties by now. I promise my friend, I will be there when the call goes out."

Daylen was going to argue further, but Wynne silenced him. Instead he just looked at his friend, letting him know that he would miss him, without having to say it aloud.

**((O))**

They stood outside the chamber of the Assembly as a group. Duran told the others that only the dwarves should enter, so Lelianna and Alistair agreed to wait outside. Faren, Duran, and Oghren went into the chamber, and emerged upon the shouting deshyrs. Their heads all turned to look at the new comers, and more than one gasped in shock at the sight of the lost Aeducan son. Behlen just smiled distantly at his brother.

"I trust your journey into the Deep Roads went well brother?"

"Very well, and a Paragon wishes to show favor, to whichever candidate I see fit." There was a sinister smile there.

"Tell us this tale brother! It sounds grand indeed." They played the room brilliantly.

"We were sent to find the Paragon Branka in the Deep Roads, and find her we did, at the Anvil of the Void." Duran waited for the murmurs to spread throughout the room before he continued. "But she is not the only Paragon we found there. Caridan guarded the Anvil!" There were more murmurs and surprised sounds.

"The once mighty Paragon was trapped within the body of a great steel golem. He begged us to destroy the Anvil, for it entraps the souls of men. So we did, and with it Branka was slain." There were some outraged voices at this, but they were more interested in the tale the Aeducan brothers were telling than fighting at the moment.

"Caridan fashioned this," Duran said and held up the great crown. "And told me that I could bestow it upon Orzammar's next king!"

The Assembly argued over this for awhile before they agreed that this was a sufficient solution to their current problem. Duran walked to the dais and turned to the lords and ladies of the Assembly. "The man whom shall be favored by the Paragon Caridan, is my noble Lord Harrowmant!"

"What?" Behlen shouted and turned to his brother. "You dare betray me?"

Duran just laughed. "Family trait."

There were shouts of outrage or agreement around the room, depending on who was favored by which lord or lady. The Speaker took the crown from Duran and placed it on Harrowmant's head, crowning him the next king of Orzammar.

"I demand this mad man's words not be taken into account!" Behlen fumed.

"If he would have named you, this would not even matter," The speaker told Behlen.

"You lost baby brother, now leave before you lose more than you care to."

Behlen understood a threat when her heard one, and ordered his men to kill Duran. Faren and Oghren were swept up in the battle, as were all the supporters of Lord Harrowmant. Duran kept his eye on Behlen, knowing he could not let his brother out of his sight. He shoved his way through screaming deshyrs trying to head for the door and ignore the brawl. He knocked a woman to the ground but did not bother to help her up; he just kept his eyes on his retreating brother.

"Behlen!" He yelled out. He could not let his brother get away a second time. The coward did not deserve the breath in his lungs. AS far as Duran was concerned that was his life that Behlen was living, and it would be taken from the younger man, just as Duran's own life had been stolen from him.

A Behlen fanatic rushed Duran and knocked him to the ground. "You won't steal this from me!" Duran shouted and sprang to his feet. He took out his war hammer, swinging savagely at the man. The blow caught the poor fellow on the elbow, and Duran could feel the bone give way. He swung again and hit him in the shoulder. He wasn't about to kill this useless fool, but these injuries would incapacitate him for a time.

He shoved his way through more people, and realized his brother would have no way to turn. He was cornered, and all this time of plotting revenge would come to fruition. He pulled out a small knife he used to skin game with and held it firmly in his hands. Behlen stopped when he reached the corner and did not bother to turn around. He knew exactly who was behind him, and he would rather not look this man in the eyes.

"How long have you planned this?"

"From the moment I saw Gorim in the marketplace of Denerim," Duran admitted to his brother.

"You have fooled everyone. You've played the better game."

Duran smiled at this. He knew it was true, and that everyone had underestimated the things he was capable of doing. He had carried this grudge for a long time, and now he could set it free. He walked up to his brother from behind, and hugged one arm around him for a moment. Then he took the other hand and planted the knife deep into Behlen's ribs. For good measure he stabbed him three more times until Behlen sank to the ground. Duran kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. "Give my best to Trian, my Brother."

And so it was done. Prince Behlen lay dead on the floor of the Assembly chamber, and the rest of them took notice. The fighting stopped, for now the men who supported the prince, had no one to fight for anymore. Duran turned and faced Lord Harrowmant.

"You will keep your word?"

"I will keep it," Harrowmant promised.

Duran motioned to Oghren and Faren and led them out of the chamber. When they emerged Alistair and Lelianna looked worried. Duran was going to explain what happened when all of the sudden Faren grabbed him and pinned him to the wall.

"What was that?"

Duran pushed back and made the other man step off. "Something that was too long coming to him."

"You ruined everything! How could you do that? Now Rica and my nephew have no house to belong to!"

"They will be taken care of, I'm not as heartless as you may think."

"You killed the father of her child!"

"I killed a man who wouldn't think twice about killing your pretty little sister _and_ that child, if it meant that it would get him power."

"You think you are any better?"

"I never said I was," Duran admitted. Alistair and Lelianna were more than a little confused.

"What happened in there?" Lelianna asked. Duran ignored her and continued talking to Faren.

"My son and his mother, as well as Rica and your nephew are going to be adopted into house Harrowmant for the time being. While we are away Lord Harrowmant will put me forward as Paragon. The victory over the horde will cement this and I will return to claim my house, which you will be a part of. Then we can welcome back the women and little ones, and you truly will never have to be a Duster again. Understand? My brother would not do half as much for anyone."

"And what if we die facing the archedemon?"

"Then I guess we won't really have to worry about it then will we?"

The two dwarves stared at each other in challenge, but eventually Faren submitted. He held out his hand and clasped Duran's, letting him know that it was an agreement. Duran then explained that he had given the crown to Harrowmant instead of Behlen. The others really had no place to argue about this, it was not their battle. Instead Alistair just suggested that they should make all haste back to the surface and back to Redcliff. There was no argument there.

**((O))**

Kallian, Sten and Elissa decided to spend the day in the village. Elissa was helping the women to weave baskets in the rare day's sunshine, while Kallian played with the village children. Sten just sat at the docks and sharpened his sword. Kallian chased after one of the little ones who tried to make off with the ball they were playing with. The child squealed in glee as the elf caught her and spun her into the air.

Cammi came tearing down the path at them barking the alert. She spun in tight circles though, letting Elissa and Kallian know that whoever approached was friendly. Kalli set the child down and told her to go find the qunari and her and Elissa ran up the path.

"Can you see anything?" Elissa asked and shielded her eyes against the sun. Kallian hugged her friend around the waist with one arm, and used the other to do the same and block out the sun.

"I see three people, but they're still too far away to tell who."

Elissa's shoulders slouched. "It can't be them then, each party had four."

Cammi ran up the path to greet the new comers joyously, and Sten came to stand behind the two women. "It's the mages," He said simply. Kallian turned and looked at him in shock and then turned to look at Elissa. They shared a smile and ran as fast as they could to greet those who had come. When they got to Daylen they both threw their arms around him, and he hugged the women.

"You're back," Kallian said in his ear. He held both women an arm's length away and then looked at Kallian.

"And you're safe!" He said and hugged her one more time. The two women led the mages back to castle Redcliff.

"Where is Theron?" Elissa asked the group.

"He has decided to stay with the Dalish until the call to arms," Wynne explained to them.

"It's where he belongs for now," Daylen admitted. Kallian noticed that Morrigan had made herself a constant presence at Daylen's side, and that the witch of the wilds glared at Elissa who was on his other. Kallian looked up at the mage, who in turn to the silent question just winked at her.

The mages settled into life at the castle in due time and caught up on their kingdom gossip. It wasn't long before Shianni got word to Kallian via Nessa, but the news was not good. There were strange men in the Alienage, and elves were going missing every day. They said that they were healing the elves from plague, and they were mages. Shianni strongly voiced that the elves had already had plague, and were not sick anymore.

"She says that the men are abusive, and she thinks they have taken Valendrian," Kallian's face fell as she read that part of the letter.

"Who's Valendrian?" Morrigan asked.

"Our elder," Kallian answered. "She also stated that Soris has not been heard of since shortly after the battle of Ostagar, and that my father is also missing."

"Do you think they are connected? Didn't you say that your cousin had been arrested by Howe?" Elissa asked.

"My father is too level headed and clever to get arrested, I would more bet that Valendrian and my dad were both taken together."

"Does she give any outside news?"

"No, she only hears what goes on inside the Alienage."

"We are going to have to leave for Denerim soon, the Landsmeet has been called, and we cannot wait much longer," Eamon told the others.

"Is there any news from Alistair?" Elissa asked. There was none, but a week later, three dwarves and two humans silently showed up at Castle Redcliff, ready to march to Denerim.

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**Sorry if I made more mistakes then usual, I wrote this pretty late and my eyes burn from staring at the computer so long and thinking! Love you guys! REVIEW!**


	21. The Return to Denerim

**So much drama in this chapter lol **

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**~Much Love, LadySerenade**

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Return to Denerim**

"Isn't it funny, the dynamics of our little group?" Daylen asked Kallian as they led the march to Denerim. The wardens weren't hiding anymore, and they made a great show on the road. Arl Eamon's army marched with the group, and well as Teagan's men, and of course all the companions that have been collected over the past months, save for Theron who was still among the Dalish.

"Whatever could you mean?" Kallian asked innocently in return.

"Well here we are, the middle of a Blight and everyone has love fever!"

Kallian just laughed and looked up at her friend. "Have I ever told you how handsome your new scars are?" She asked and winked, ignoring the glare Morrigan shot her from a few steps behind. She felt it borrow into the back of her head though.

"Don't be a tease Kalli, my heart is already with another," He said with a theatrical sigh. Morrigan rolled her eyes and went to pick on Alistair. The elf and the mage laughed.

"It seems she has her claws in you," Kallian mused.

"Oh yes, and it feels so good!"

"I don't need the details," She assured him.

"Your loss! But it's not just me that's infected with this fever. For instance, who rides behind Bann Teagan and hangs off of his every word?" Daylen asked wiggling a brow. She looked back to see Elissa and Teagan laughing over something.

"Well I think they're cute."

"Nauseating. Then there is my good pal Theron who stayed behind to be with that pretty little elf, you and Sten, and Alistair and Lelianna have a budding little romance there."

"Me and Sten? Don't be ridiculous. Why are you so eager to pair everyone off anyhow?"

"Because my dear, truly I am a romantic at heart," He said with a dramatic sigh again.

"I feel like I never know what you are going to say."

"You know I was going to fall in love with you but you frightened me."

"I frightened you more than the Witch of the Wilds?"

"That my good girl, deserves a touché."

They both laughed at that and continued more towards Denerim. They were on the road for a few more days before they came in sight of the city. Elissa's face turned dark. Outside the walls were Rendon Howe's men. Teagan tried to distract her, but nothing could get that look out of her eyes. These men killed her family, and that was something she was not about to let go.

When they got in the city Eamon took them to his estates and called the wardens and his brother to his office to hold a meeting. They went in a hurry, eager to get things moving in the capital. There was lots of unfinished business here.

"That entrance made me nervous Eamon," Teagan said as he walked in the room and closed the door behind us.

"Oh surely you can't mean all the people that lined up to watch us? I know brother."

"The Regent will surely summon us," Elissa said, knowing how court worked.

"We will get a delegation together to meet him. I suggest my brother and I, Elissa, and Alistair," Eamon said, looking at each of those listed meaningfully. It was a clever group. Eamon, who had been poisoned by the regent, Teagan who had openly opposed Loghain, Alistair who was their candidate for King, and Elissa who had lost the most here.

"We will go with you," Elissa said.

"Arl Eamon?" Kallian asked.

"What is it dear girl?"

"If I may, I would like to look around the city while you see the Regent. I need to get news from the Alienage."

"Of course, in fact that is a good idea for all of you. See what you can dig up around the city. Let's not go into anything else blind."

There was a rap on the door, and an elf servant poked her head in. "Beg your pardon, but Arl Eamon, this message came for you."

Eamon summoned the woman in, who almost too literally ran into the room, handed Eamon the paper and ran back out. Eamon opened it and read the message. A sly smile spread on the old man's face, and he looked up at the companions. "And so we are summoned."

**((O))**

Kallian walked the streets trying to be invisible, but with a qunari warrior and a dwarf, it was hard to go unnoticed. She saw that the alienage was still closed off. She knew better than to go up to the gate again, which was guarded by the exact same man she encountered last time. Instead she kept her eye out for Nessa.

She looked at all the elves faces, which were haunted and too thin, but none of them were Nessa's. She couldn't imagine where she had gone. Maybe she left Denerim all together. She had just gotten word from her not but a week ago. She told Faren to split up and look for the woman. The dwarf nodded and trotted off across market district. It wasn't long before he returned though.

"Did you find her?"

Come with me," He said and took her by the hand. Kallian pulled away for a moment.

"Faren what happened to her?" She asked in almost a panic. The dwarf did not answer, only grabbed her arm and half drug her across the Market district. Sten looked on disapprovingly, but saw over his shorter counter parts to the view that Faren had obviously found. When Kallian saw it she stopped in her tracks. This could not be allowed.

"Sten take her down," She ordered through silent tears. The qunari obeyed and went to removed the elven woman who hung by a noose by the guard house. She had 'whore' written on her dress, and her face was purple. When Sten cut her down he handed her to Kallian who sat on the ground and cradled Nessa in her lap.

People stared as they walked by, but they did not linger, afraid of what that giant would do to them if they approached. Kallian gently brushed away the hair that fell in Nessa's face and used her sleeve to try and clean off some of the dirt. She looked up at Faren.

"We need to fix this," She whispered, through her thick voice.

"Kallian I'm so sorry."

"This city is my home. It's supposed to be great, the pride of Ferelden. When did it become this?" She asked and cried more, tears falling onto Nessa's face. She couldn't have even be that long dead. She carried Nessa's body to a back alley and lay her gently against the wall. "I'm sorry I couldn't have done better for you my friend," She told the corpse and kissed her on both of the cheeks. She saw death everyday in the alienage, but just because she was used to something like this, didn't mean she had to like it. She shed tears for every one of her fallen friends, convinced that it gave her some sort of humanity.

"What are you going to do now?" Faren asked from behind her.

"I'm going into the alienage."

"Then we shall go with you Kadan," Sten said. She turned to look at them.

"You cannot come with me. No one will notice another elf in the alienage, but I cannot hope to blend a qunari and a dwarf among my people."

It took a lot of arguing but eventually they agreed that it would be more unnoticeable for just Kallian to sneak into the alienage. The plan was to hoist her up over the wall, which Sten did with ease. She promised them that she would be back to Eamon's estates by nightfall. She looked down at the long drop on the other side of the wall and cringed. She heard shouting from inside the alienage though, and knew she could not hang on this wall forever, so she let go.

**((O))**

"Such an honor, that the Regent would see fit to greet us properly," Eamon said as they were approached in the palace main hall by Loghain, Howe, and Ser Cauthrien.

"How can I not greet a man who deems himself so important as to call every lord and lady away from their estates while a Blight claws at our land," Loghain said. There was always a certain amount of venom and wry in his voice.

"The Blight is why I'm here," Eamon stated. "With Cailan dead, Ferelden must have a king to lead it against the darksp—"

Loghain cut him off. "Ferelden already has a strong ruler, its queen, and I lead her armies."

"Considering Ostagar, perhaps we need a better general," Elissa interjected.

Loghain turned his black eyes on her, and looked the woman up and down. Howe behind him sneered at recognizing the last Cousland.

"Elissa Cousland, a grey warden. You have my sympathies for what happened to your order, such a shame they decided to turn against Ferelden," Loghain stated with no sincerity.

"But no sympathies for what happened to my family? Do not bother anyhow, I accept no sympathies from deserters and regicides."

"Watch your tongue churl," Cauthrien warned.

Loghain went on ignoring the women. "There is talk that your illness left you feeble Eamon. Some worry that you may no longer be fit to advise Ferelden."

"Illness?" Eamon laughed. "Why not call your poison by its true name? Not everyone at the Landsmeet with cast aside their loyalties as easily as you and these sycophants."

"How long you've been gone from court Eamon, don't you recognize Rendon Howe?" Loghain said, gesturing towards one of the 'sycophants.' "The Arl of Amaranthine and Teyrn of Highever?"

Elissa's eyes turned to fire. The only thing she could see was her father's bleeding corpse on the floor of the larder. She hadn't even gotten to tell them how much she loved them, but she did promise to avenge them, and there stood the man responsible for it all.

"And current Arl of Denerim," Howe said in his snide voice.

"That seems like too many titles for one man to have, but then again you are much less than a man," Elissa spat. She stepped forwards only to be cut off by Cauthrien. "You are stupid to threaten the Arl in front of witnesses," She said. She was a much taller and well muscles woman compared to Elissa, but in younger woman's mind, her anger made her ten feet tall.

"You can't protect him from me," Elissa promised.

"Elissa step back," Eamon ordered. She didn't move an inch. He then ordered Teagan to take Elissa outside, which he did, but not without much interjections from the Cousland.

"Silly children," Loghain commented as Elissa was escorted out. "I had hoped to talk you down from this rash course Eamon. Our people are frightened, our king is dead, our land is under siege! We must be united now if we are to endure this crisis. You divide our nation and weaken our efforts against the Blight, with your selfish ambitions to the throne."

"You were the one who divided Ferelden," Alistair piped up. He hated this man as much as Elissa hated Arl Howe.

"I was not talking to you," Loghain said dangerously, but it was noted that he would not look directly at Alistair.

"I cannot forgive what you have done Loghain. Perhaps the Maker can, but I have not the strength. Our people deserve a king of the Therin blood line. Alistair will be the one to lead us to victory during this Blight," Eamon said. Alistair grinned goofily as everyone this time did acknowledge him.

"The emperor of Orlais also thought I could not bring him down, expect no more mercy than I showed him," Loghain promised.

**((O))**

Elissa kicked over a suit of armor as she walked back into Eamon's estates. Teagan sat on a bench watching her throw a fit like some kind of unruly child. He had never more felt the difference in their ages. She threw a table across the room and sank to her knees to cry in anger.

"How dare he order me out of the room? I have blood rights with that man!"

"Elissa you were out of line," Teagan stated.

"That man killed my family! My brother's wife and son, and my mother and father. He walks free while they never get to walk again!"

"You can't go threatening the Arl of Denerim in front of witnesses."

"Whose side are you on?"

"You're acting like a child Elissa," Teagan said, but the look in her eyes showed him how poorly he had chosen his words. She walked over and slapped him in the face, not caring that she was stronger than she knew.

"You threw one of my fellow wardens in your dungeons when you were worried about Eamon. So how dare you act like I am not allowed to be angry at the man who has my family's blood staining his office!" She screamed and went to storm out of the room. He grabbed her arm and ducked under the elbow she threw back at him until he could secure both of her arms.

"You must stay cognizant of what the situation is here Elissa. And trust me, there is a time and place for what Howe must answer to."

"Unhand me Teagan," She demanded. A couple of the maids looked on in worry, not fearing he would hurt him, but rather the other way around.

"Now you know I'm not about to let you go in the other room and cry by yourself."

Her eyes welled up with fresh tears and she sank her head into his shoulder and cried. He led her over to the bench so they could sit, and he draped her legs across his lap and let her cry into his chest. She looked up at him.

"I'm not even sad anymore. I'm just so angry and I can't get rid of it. It's always in my head and when I saw him the only thing I wanted to do was kill him. It makes me sick and I don't know how to make it go away, and as much as I want to kill him, to know how it feels, it won't change anything. It will turn me into him! He's someone's father. I knew Delilah, Thomas and Nathaniel. They were my friends."

"I'm so sorry Elissa," Teagan whispered.

"I just want them back Teagan. I just want my parents back and nothing can do that. I can kill him, but they will still be dead. I just can't….bring them back…" She said and sobbed until there was nothing left to cry about.


	22. Guardians

**Things are really starting to come together! Have fun with this chapter!**

**Much Love! **

**~LadySerenade**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Guardians**

Kallian snuck quietly into the Alienage. She would first go to her old home and see what she could dig up, but when she got there the door was bolted shut. She tried the wooden beams, to pull them off, but they would not budge. The windows too were all stuck fast and would not budge. She went around to the side of the house so she could climb to the roof and try the chimney. As soon as her hands touched the vines there, someone grabbed her from behind and put their hands over her mouth. They turned her fast though, and Kallian recognized Valora right away.

"Kallian you returned!" She said and threw her arms around her cousin. Kallian squeezed her tight. When she went to say something, Valora put up fingers to indicate silence and led Kalli to a small hut down by the river. Once inside she noticed it was a hovel for many elves, but what were they hiding from?

"What's going on Valora?"

"Is that Kallian Tabris?" Another of the elves said. More of them piped up recognizing her, and many said that she would be their savior.

"Be quiet you lot!" Valora shouted. She turned back to Kallian. "The alienage is no longer a safe place for us. Some mages showed up after we were healed from the plague and the riots were over. We finally thought we were to have peace but we were wrong. They said they were healing men, but they snatched up elves from their beds and locked them up in the hospice. They told us they were healing them from new plague, but they won't let us see them."

"They killed Orella right in the streets when she tried to force herself inside," One of the men in the back said.

"You know Shianni doesn't take anything lying down, so she began to protest them, telling us to stay away, but many would not listen. When Valendrian went missing, people started to talk, and the mages grew more violent. Shianni did more digging and her and Nessa discovered something more horrible."

"Nessa was murdered Valora. She was hung by the guards house," Kallian told her cousin.

"Then Shianni might be in trouble," Valora said sadly.

"What did they discover?"

"Those mages are Tevinter slave runners."

An involuntary chill ran through the elves in the room. Something they always feared was slavery, and they were supposed to be safe in Ferelden. Being sold to Tevinter was a threat parents would use to get their little ones to behave better. You only heard horrific fates for what would await them in such a life. So how in the Maker's name did slave runners end up in the alienage of Denerim?

"Valora, where is Shianni?"

"I..I don't know…if Nessa is dead then…" She let her sentence trail off, but Kallian was not about to wait around to hear it finished. She charged out the door and into the blinding sunshine. Valora begged her to come back, reminding her that it wasn't safe, but Kallian had faced worse than some Tevinter Slavers.

She saw an elf several houses up scurry into the alley way, and she took off at him. "Wait!" She called out, but only managed to spook him into running faster. She ran into the alley after him and saw him climbing a wall at the back. She picked up her pace and vaulted herself over the wall swiftly. She landed in garbage at the other side, and saw the elf take another one of the twisting side alleys. Her father used to joke that if you ever wanted to make someone disappear all you had to do was force them to navigate Denerim's alley ways.

She surged forwards out of the trash and continued her pursuit. "Wait!" She tried to call him again, but it was no use, he was not going to stop for her unless she physically forced him. So she grabbed a three legged chair sitting in the alley and hurled it forward with all the might she could muster. It barely caught the back of his right foot, but it did, and it sent him sprawling. She ran up to the frightened elf and put a hand to his shoulder, then caught a fist to the side of the head.

Another of the elves shoved her off the first one and raised a club in his hands, preparing to bludgeon her. She rolled to the side and pulled out her daggers. "You don't want to do this!" She called and circled away from the first elf who was now standing up. "You'll get yourself killed boy!"

"You're the one killing your own kind!" The second elf said. The first one looked at her, and Kallian recognized Ren, a young elf who once had a thing for Shianni.

"Kall? What are you doing here?"

"Wait you know her?" The second elf asked.

"This is Shianni's cousin! Kallian I'm so sorry!" He rushed forwards and hugged her tightly.

"Who did you think I was, and why did you say sorry like that?"

The second elf answered some of that. "You must know about the Slavers. Well one of their factions is being run by an elf! She is selling out her own kind."

"And Kallian," Ren said. "You might want to come with me."

Ren led her through more of the alleyways that were behind the alienage until they reached the wall that cut the elves off from the rest of Denerim. They walked along the wall for about a mile until Kallian saw what looked like piles of clothes laying all along the wall. When she got closer she realized they were all elves. They were all dead elves. Her stomach started to turn to stone and her heart was beating so strong in her throat she thought she might faint. Her steps became unsteady and she thought she was going to fall. She knew all too well what they were going to show her here.

The second elf ran forwards and took one of those piles of rags to lean it up against the wall. It wasn't a dead one though, she saw the faint lift of chest in the elf, and the red hair, so much like her own. She ran forwards and collapsed next to her cousin Shianni.

"Shianni!" She cried and hugged her cousin to her. She leaned her back against the wall and looked at her. The face was hollow and sickly, and she looked like she hadn't bathed in a month. Her already thin frame was borderline corpse thin, and her eyes were blank, like she didn't see Kallian at all.

"What happened to her?" Kallian asked and turned to look at Ren and the other elf.

"We found her like this a week ago, we've been trying to heal her up but she keeps talking about meeting the Maker. I think she thinks she's already dead."

"Shianni, do you know who I am?" She asked her cousin gently. There was no reply.

"It's me Kallian, your baby cousin. I know you would never forget me Shianni. I just know it!" Kallian felt her voice getting thick, and her cousin really did seem like a dead women. Kallian leaned her head against her cousin's chest for comfort, but heard a weird humming noise. She pulled back and opened Shianni's shirt to find a strange glowing pendant there. When she went to touch it, the thing burned her hand.

"What is it?" She asked, the other elves also tried to remove it, but to no avail.

"It looks like one of the pendants them Tevinters was wearing," The second elf said. Kallian didn't need to think on it twice. "Guard her until I get back!" She called and took off running for all she was worth.

She didn't care about the burning in her chest or how weak and slow her legs seemed, she pushed on as fast as she could towards the alienage gate. When she arrived there, her legs wanted to give in, but she went along the wall to the spot she got in the first time and tried to rely on her arms to carry her up the stone. She rested for a moment at the top and looked down to see that Sten and Faren were still waiting for her there. Sten looked up and noticed her return.

"Kadan?"

Kallian went to climb down the other side but her arms and legs were too weak, she slipped at the top and let out a little scream as she fell over the wall. She should have known that Sten would have caught her, and he did, setting her on the ground like a new born kitten.

"What's wrong Kall? You look like you've seen the archdemon," Faren pointed out.

"Take me to Daylen," She said breathless, in more than one way.

**((O))**

"Daylen may I speak with you?" Elissa said and entered the dining hall where the mage was finishing his meal.

"Of course," He said and invited her to sit with him. Elissa sat next to him and became suddenly preoccupied with the table.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" He prompted her. The reaction he got from her he did not expect, but Elissa burst into tears. He was awkward enough with emotions, let alone somebody else's. She pulled a kerchief from her sleeve and wiped at her eyes.

"I'm sorry I just..don't know how to even talk about this."

"It would help if I knew what 'this' is," Daylen told her.

"That time, when I thought I was going to die, the Guardian came to me. I..don't understand why he chose to save me, but since then he never quite left. When the others were trapped in the Fade, he told me, and when Kallian was kidnapped, he warned me of that to. I cannot fathom what he sees in me, but he has sent me another vision," She said, and her eyes filled up with tears on the last.

"What did he show you?" He asked carefully.

"Last night I was back in the Kocari Wilds, and my brother was there. I woke up immediately. I didn't finish the dream but it seemed so real, like one of the ones that belongs to the Guardian. My brother could be alive out there somewhere."

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"I just thought that maybe you could help me contact the Guardian somehow, I didn't know if maybe you studied some way of magic or something. I sound like a fool don't I?"

"Not at all child," came a voice from the door. Wynne entered the hall and put her hands on Elissa's shoulders. "We cannot always see in ourselves what those beyond this world see. This Guardian chose you for a reason, do not doubt that. Maybe I can help you relax into a sleep deep enough to go back to the Fade," She offered.

"A little Lyrium infused tea might help," Daylen suggested to the shock of the older mage.

"That doesn't sound very safe," Elissa voiced.

"He was only kidding," Wynne insisted.

"Suite yourself," Daylen laughed and excused himself from the table, just as Kallian burst in the room breathless and pale.

"Daylen come quick!"

**((O))**

Once back to Shianni, Daylen voiced what Kallian had suspected. "The medallion is old Tevinter magic, and it's laden with curses."

"Can you get it off?" Kallian asked over his shoulder.

"It's powerful, she must have really made them angry." He filled his hands with black power that shimmered on his skin. He carefully grabbed the clasp to undo it, but was thrown back violently by the force of the medallion. Shianni screamed out in pain and started thrashing around.

"What's happening to her?" Kallian screamed and tried to get her cousin to sit still.

"Stand back!" Daylen warned, and Kallian, Ren, and the other elf stepped away from the thrashing Shianni. Daylen closed his bad eye, and kept his good one on the medallion. He followed it with precision and then suddenly pointed his finger at Shianni and shouted something that must have been old Tevinter. The medallion hissed and fell to the ground, making Shianni go still.

Kallian and Daylen rushed forwards to see if she was alright. At first they all thought she was dead, but then her color returned and her body seemed to fill out before their very eyes. She opened her own eyes, so much like Kallian's, and looked at the group. When she noticed her cousin she gasped.

"Kalli?"

Kallian reached forwards and crushed her cousin to her.

"How is it you always come to my rescue?" Shianni joked.

"We have to get you to safety Shianni."

"There is no where safe in the alienage."

"Valora rallied the remaining elves, they are in a hovel down by the river, we need to at least get you there," Kallian said forcefully. Shianni could not argue once her cousin got something set in her mind, so they moved her to the hovel. Valora was overjoyed to see that Shianni was alive, and for the most part well. Now it was time for her story.

"It started small at first, just a few elves missing here or there, but it wasn't the sick ones they went after. I knew they could not be healers, so I started to look into who they were taking. All the children in the orphanage were the first to go, then the younger ones who played out in the streets started getting fewer and fewer. Nessa found out from Remmy that there were Tevinter ships in the harbor. I didn't have to think about it twice, elves going missing and strange Tevinter ships in our harbors? Nessa started _distracting_ a few of the other ship captains, till one let it slip that he saw elves in chains on one of the ships. She went to the harbor herself to see our people were locked away. We had to do everything we could to get those Tevinters to lose everything they could. At night we would both sneak down there. I would poison the ships guard's supply of food, tear sails, anything I could to keep them from shipping out," Shianni explained.

"Nessa…" Kallian went to tell her, but the look in her cousins eyes told her that she already knew. There was an infant's squall from the back of the hovel that made the other little ones start up cries of their own.

"If you'll excuse me," Valora said and went to check on her child.

"He's really beautiful Kalli, Soris's baby boy I mean."

"I had almost forgotten," Kallian admitted.

"I can't bear to think of Soris rotting away in the Arl of Denerim's dungeons. It's Howe who allowed these Tevinters to come here," Shianni spat.

"Howe is responsible for this?" Daylen asked in anger.

"Who else?" Shianni said and took Kallian to meet the baby.

"Kall wait!" He called after her.

"What is it?"

"Will you be alright here?"

"Of course, but why?"

"I'm going back to the estates, this is something that Eamon needs to know about," Daylen told her.

**((O))**

_Elissa was deep in the woods, but she didn't feel panicked. She knew she had to just keep walking forwards. There was a soothing light up ahead, and she seemed to float towards it. When she arrived the Guardian was sitting by a large fountain. In the middle of the water there was a statue erected to Andraste. She poured water from a bowl into the water below. _

"_Welcome Elissa," The Guardian said._

_Elissa sat on the edge of the water. "Was the dream real?" She asked, remembering why she was here to begin with. _

"_All the dreams I send you are real in their way Elissa."_

"_But my brother, is he really alive?"_

"_Would you like to see?" The Guardian asked. Elissa nodded her head and watched as the water before her showed her a picture of her brother. He was sitting in a tall backed chair in front of a hearth. The inside of the room he was in was adorned in animal skins, and a few feet away from him stood a chasind barbarian. _

"_You are finally healed Fergus, what is it you want to do now?"_

"_I must make my way to Denerim."_

"_Are you sure? I thought you said you are from the lands of Highever."_

"_I am," Fergus said, and looked into the fire with a knitted brow. "But I feel a pull towards the capital."_

"_As you wish," the chasind told him. _

_Elissa looked up at the Guardian. "Thank you," She told him. _

"_Don't thank me Elissa. For years I have guarded the temple of Andraste, but with the Ashes no longer a secret, I think it is time I guard something new."_

"_You will no longer protect the Ashes?" Elissa asked in dismay. _

"_I will look on from afar, but Andraste now belongs to the people again."_

"_And me? Why did you choose me?" Elissa wanted to know. _

"_That answer is more complicated than you know child. My Lady was used to save that life of yours, but it was not meant to be so."_

"_I…was meant to die?" She asked. _

"_Yes, but the hate in your companion's hearts lifted. They showed you great compassion and changed your destiny. They saved your life. Now you have a new purpose. You brought them all back together Elissa, and through all their struggles you kept leading them back together. You still have a lot of things to learn, but you are on a better path than the old one, and this time I will try and guide you, until you no longer need me."_

"_I don't know what to say," She admitted. _

"_Always know Elissa, that I will be here when you have need of me. I will dwell in the quiet parts of your mind."_

Elissa sat up in the physical world again. Wynne had been keeping her in a deep sleep, but now smiled knowingly at the younger women. Elissa hugged the mage with a tear in her eyes.

"He's alive Wynne. My brother is alive."

There was a small tap on the door as the elf servant poked her head in the room. She told them that everyone was summoned to the Arl's private study. When Elissa and Wynne arrived there were still some people missing, such as Daylen, Sten, Faren, and Kallian, but the focus was more on the new comer. She was a small black haired elf.

"What is it Eamon?" Elissa asked.

"It seems Anora is imprisoned in Howe's estates," He told the group. The door swung open and Daylen came sweeping into the room.

"And the man's crimes keep stacking up," He said.

"We go after him," Elissa stated. All the eyes in the room went to her, but no one would argue with her, or silence her this time. Eamon sighed.

"I agree."

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**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to drop me a review! **


	23. UPDATE

**Hey everyone! So obviously I have not written in awhile, and I really am sorry for that! I love this story and I was randomly reading through it, and realize I miss it a lot. This is just an update to see if anyone is still willing to read it and wants me to continue! You can either send me a PM or review this lame update chapter to let me know! Thanks guys!**

**~LadySerenade  
**


	24. Howe's Estates

**Backed by popular demand! Sorry it took so long guys!**

~**LadySerenade**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Howe's Estates**

"Alright everybody you know the drill," Elissa said as the stood in the entry way of Howe's estates. "Just play it calm, try not to linger anywhere for too long, and don't let anyone important see you. The servants and fellow guards won't notice a few more men in uniform but if Cauthrien is here she will notice us."

The people that had been chosen to accompany Elissa were, Alistair, Lelianna, Daylen and Duran. They had easily slipped into the castle, and now all they needed to do was find Anora and get her safely out. Her elven servant had insisted on coming with them and separated from the group to try and hear any whispers on where the queen might be.

The group walked through the soldiers mess and tried not to look anyone in the eye. The soldiers were so preoccupied no one even looked at the group as they passed through and met Anora's servant on the other side. She said she had found where the queen was and led them to her, but things couldn't just be that simple.

"What's wrong with the door?" Elissa asked. Anora herself was the one who answered.

"Thank the Maker you are here! Howe's mage magically sealed the door."

They all looked to Daylen, who reluctantly stepped forwards. He put his hands to the door testing its strength. "Only the mage who conjured it can take it down. I can however blast through the wall, but for some reason I thought the mission called for stealth."

They ignored his sarcasm on the last part. Elissa called back in to Anora that she would have to hold tight while they located the mage. Elissa led the others deeper into the castle to try and find Howe's mage.

"I'm starting to get a bad feeling," Alistair admitted as they tried to search, while at the same time go unnoticed.

"I know what you mean, but we came this far, we can't just leave Anora in there."

"I don't understand why we are saving my competition to the throne at all," Alistair whispered. The others all stopped and looked at him.

"What?"

"I thought you didn't want to be king," Elissa pointed out.

"Well I don't, but there is something about her that I just don't trust."

That was understandable. None of them really trusted her, for she was the daughter of the man that betrayed them all, but they knew also that they could not leave her here. She could be a dangerous weapon and powerful ally against Loghain, or she could be their downfall. It was a thin line that was to be walked with her, but they were going to take the gamble anyways.

Lelianna stopped at a door as the others went on and fiddled with the handle. Elissa looked back and watched her curiously as she picked the lock and entered the room. They all followed Lelianna inside, and Elissa laughed when she noticed that this was Arl Howe's bedroom.

"How did you know?" She asked the red head.

"Just a haunch," Lelianna said all too innocently.

They all entered the room and searched around for anything that could be off use. Lelianna found some warden documents by the chest near his bed that they decided would be best to hold on to. As Elissa rifled through papers on his desk, she found trade commission reports for the lands of Highever. The aching in her chest flared up, but she did her best to swallow that pain, and if she had her way, it would soon be resolved.

"Where do you suppose this leads?" Daylen asked, as he opened a door on the other side of the room. It opened into a long tunnel.

"It looks like it may lead down to the dungeons," Lelianna pointed out.

"How is it you know so much about castles?" Elissa demanded.

"I've been in my fair share," The other woman admitted demurely, and led them down the tunnel.

At the bottom a guard was standing in front of a cell. When he saw them, he knew that they were not to be down here, but before he could move, the person inside the cell grabbed him around the neck. They all just watched, not knowing if it would be wise to help the man. The arms that had choked him to death now grabbed the key ring off his belt and unlocked the cell. The wardens got their weapons ready. The man that stepped out of the cell had shoulder length black hair, and had nothing on but his pants.

"Riordan?" Alistair asked and stepped forwards. He looked back at the others. "Lower your weapons, this man is a warden."

"Alistair? It's a surprise to see you here, but I can say it's a good one."

"How did you end up here?" Alistair asked, and helped the other warden peel off the guards clothing so he would have something to wear.

"How intercepted me quite some time ago. When the Orlesian Wardens caught wind of what happened at Ostagar, well I came to find out, but was not diligent enough," The older man said and started to put on some clothing that was a little too small for him.

"Arl Howe, where is he?" Elissa demanded to know. There was a dark town in her voice that they have never heard from her before, and Riordan sensed that there was something more here.

"He is in the dungeons, keep going down these stairs and you will find him young lady. But be warned, he is not alone."

"Will you be okay from here? You can find sanctuary in Arl Eamon's estates," Lelianna piped up to Riordan.

"The Arl of Redcliff is in Denerim? Then he has much to know," Riordan said and walked off with a slight limp. Elissa didn't want to waste any more time and made for the stairs immediately. Daylen though grabbed her arm and stopped her. She whipped around, glaring at him.

"What do you think you are doing?" Elissa asked.

"Revenge makes people do crazy things," Daylen said quietly, thinking back to his time with the werewolves. "Just remember he has a family too."

"You don't think I don't know that?" She said and wretched her arm from his grasp before continuing down the stairs. The others followed her quietly. It felt wrong to try and deprive her of her revenge, but Daylen was scared of what she might do.

When they immerged in the dungeons there were half a dozen guards lazing about. One of them jumped to his feet and tried to look intimidating. He knew, like the guard they had encountered that Riordan killed, that they were not supposed to be down here. Daylen decided to handle this though, and motioned discreetly for his wardens to back up as he came face to face with the guard. Was he going to attack them?

"We are here to speak with Howe about the situation in the Alienage," Daylen said with strange authority. The guard seemed taken aback, and let down his tough guy demeanor.

"Did something happen?"

"You know that little red head knife ear that's been locked away since the old Arl's son got whacked?" Daylen asked.

"Oh yeah, Soris. That one was particularly fun to break," The guard said with an evil jeer.

"Well we found his family, and there is a magister willing to pay huge money for the whole set!" Daylen said, playing his part and laughing manically.

"I thought usually they liked to break the little buggers up," The other guard said in confusion.

"Who are we to argue with gold?" Daylen asked. The guard agreed with him and went over to an iron grate door to the side and unlocked it.

"Howe is right through here," The guard said and ushered the Wardens through before shutting it behind them. Elissa grabbed Daylen at the elbow.

"That was brilliant!"

"Yeah well my mouth tastes bitter about it, and we are getting that elf out. He's Kallian's cousin."

Elissa nodded and they walked around the corner where the other guards couldn't see them to regroup. They all huddled together and thanked the Maker that Daylen was so clever when they needed it the most. Lelianna was the one that would lead them from here. She seemed to know the most about castles in general, which was strange and they couldn't quite figure out why.

"Which room do you think Howe was in?" Elissa asked.

"Considering the proximity to the stairs I would guess the first one we passed, but if we are to get the elf out he will be in one of these rooms. I think we should get the elf first, it will make our story to the other guards look more realistic that way, and we will lead him into the room with Howe in it and pray to the Maker he can stay out of the way for whatever transpires there," Lelianna said, planning it all out. They nodded that this seemed like a smart plan and started towards the door closest to them. Of course it just had to be filled with more guards, but this for sure was not a room full of cells, it was a torture chamber.

Elissa looked past the torturers and saw a pale blonde man laying there with mangled legs. She recognized him even, from a long time ago when she used to go to court with her mother. He was the son of Ban Sighard. Oswyn was his name, she was sure of it. She had to make some good excuse, but she had no idea if she could be nearly as smooth as Daylen had been. She decided that maybe brute force would actually be a better option.

She unsheathed her sword and ran through the closest man to her without giving it a second thought. The rest of the wardens sprang into action and attacked the other torturers. Back when they started out she was sure that if she just randomly went around stabbing people her companions would not have her back, and it meant a great deal that they trusted her enough to follow her into ridiculous plans.

"Leave none alive, don't let them call for help," Elissa called out, quietly enough to not be an outright yell. The wardens worked quickly, killing the men who were so caught off guard in a matter of minutes. When the last torturer lay dead Daylen whirled on Elissa.

"What was that about?"

"I know this man, he is surely an ally," Elissa said and rushed to Oswyn's side. He was unconscious, but it was obvious he was still breathing. Elissa put her hand on his forehead and wiped the sweat from his brow. He stirred slightly and looked up at her.

"Cousland?" He said in complete confusion. "I thought all of you were dead," He stated.

"Not all, and we are going to get you out of here," Elissa said and motioned for Alistair and Daylen to help her lift Oswyn off the torturer's rack. When he was in a half standing position, not able to put any real weight on his legs because they were so mangle, Elissa told him that they needed him to stay silent.

"Anything if you get me out of her Liss," Oswyn said, sweating heavily from the pain.

"We can't drag him around you know," Alistair pointed out.

"Take him into the hall, and when we find the elf we will bring both of them to Howe."

"We could be noticed," Lelianna pointed out.

"We can't leave him here," Elissa said, making it clear that this wasn't a negotiation. She led the way to the door, motioning that they needed to remain silent as they walked quietly to the next door. When Elissa pushed it open she sighed in relief as it was evident there were no guards that saw fit to watch these cells.

Alistair and Daylen set Oswyn down on a table and helped Elissa and Lelianna inspect all of the cells. Elissa wasn't quite sure who she was supposed to be looking for, and just figured as long as there was only one red headed elf then they were home free. But the problem was, there didn't seem to be anyone in these cells at all. That is until she got to the last two. One contained a man, who seemed to be deliriously praying, and the other had a person completely contained in shadow.

"Soris?" Daylen called in to the shadowed figure. The man stepped forwards, and indeed it was a small red headed elf that bore a striking resemblance to Kallian.

"Who calls?" He asked in a haze.

"We are friends of your cousin, Kallian," Daylen said gently as Lelianna worked open the lock easily. Daylen then reached inside and took Soris by the arm. "We are going to get you out of here, you just have to follow our lead."

Soris nodded and followed the others back to where they had laid Oswyn. Lelianna was the only one to pause, standing outside the delirious man's cell. Alistair looked back to her. "What about this one?" She asked kindly.

"We will be caught if we take another," Alistair said sadly. Lelianna knew it to be true, blessed the poor man in the name of the maker, and followed the other back out into the hall. They walked silently as they could manage back to the room that was across from the stairs. The guards down the hall that had led them through the grated door were all half asleep or lazing about at their posts, not even looking in the wardens direction.

"Are you ready?" Daylen asked, his hand on the handle of the door. Elissa gave one short nod, and held her breath as the door swung open. They all shuffled inside and looked around. But there was no one here.

"He must be somewhere else," Lelianna said and turned to leave until a man, surrounded by his guards, stepped out from the shadows at the back of the room. Elissa went completely still, except for those eyes that filled with enough flames to envy even the archdemon.

"Well well, what have we here gentlemen," Arl Rendon Howe said in his nasally voice. "Elissa Cousland, all grown up and still trying to fit in daddy's armor."


	25. Death and Forgiveness

**I know, long overdue. This chapter is for Zaaab :)**

**~LadySerenade  
**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Death and Forgiveness **

Elissa immediately unsheathed her sword, and tensed up like she was ready for battle. She was. She had waited for this moment for long months, toiling away at tasks that meant nothing to her compared to being able to avenge her family. They accomplished what everyone else needed and now it was Elissa's turn to do something that meant the most to her. She stared at Howe in disgust. He used to be a man she trusted, and a man her family counted on. Elissa in fact almost married one of his sons.

"He trusted you!" Was the only thing Elissa could manage to say, to which Rendon Howe laughed. It was a bitter and ugly sound, not one at all that could be mistaken for actually being able to feel joy in something. Elissa wanted nothing more than to kill him, to shout out the order and have the Warden's take care of this, saving Howe for herself, but she couldn't. She just stood there convulsing in her anger, looking at the man who stole the very life from her memories.

"Trust is a fickle thing, _pup_," Howe said, mocking her. Duran watched all this with cold calculating eyes. This was something normal for his kind, but it was strange seeing humans behave like dwarves. It was familiar though, and he knew only too well the anger that was building inside fair Elissa. It didn't look right on her, she was supposed to be the maiden.

"When I'm done with you I'll kill your entire family. Wipe the name Howe straight off the face of Thedas, making it a name that is only remembered with scorn and malice. When your pretty wife looks up at me as I run her through with the Cousland sword, she will know that you are the one responsible for her death!" Elissa was now prowling, like some kind of feral creature. She was no longer the silent fragile one, no longer the lovesick young lady, or even the beautiful warden; she was a predator with her prey silently taunting her. Her prey though, was not affected by such threats.

"There it is," Howe said, scowling and looking Elissa in the eye. "That damned look in the eye that marked every Cousland success that held me back."

"It will be the last thing you see before this Cousland holds you back permanently," Elissa promised. With every word she got closer, till her and Howe were mere feet from each other. Howe's guards were spreading out too, waiting for the fight that was on the verge of breaking out. The wardens were not foolish though, they were ready for it as well.

"When did you learn such language darling? Let me teach you how it's done. Your parents died on their knees, your brother's corpse rots in Ostagar, and his brat was burned on a scrap heap, along with his Antivan whore of a wife. And what's left? A fool husk of a daughter likely to end her days under a rock in the Deep Roads. Even the Wardens are gone. You are the last of nothing," He said. He walked till his huge crooked nose was almost touching the tip of Elissa's smooth delicate one.

"I made your mother kiss my feet before she died , it was the last thing that your father saw."

Elissa through her head forward into his, hearing the sick crushing sound as his nose broke. She didn't waste any time as she unsheathed her sword and shoved Howe back violently. All around her the sound of metal scraping against its casings was imminent. This was it, this was the exact moment she had been waiting for since she was conscripted into the Wardens. She watched Howe's every movement. From the unsure steps of his feet, so the rage in his eyes. She would be ready. She might not be the strongest of the Warden's, but she was a good swordsman, and she knew she could beat this swine. He fought with a brute mace and no shield. Elissa was a noble, and her honor made her cast her own shield aside. She would have no one thinking that she didn't earn this victory. There was fighting all around on her peripherals, but they seemed to have given Howe and Elissa a wide ring of space. Let the show begin.

Howe lunged in first, throwing a strong and quick blow to where her head should be. Elissa easily danced around him, throwing her hip into his as she used his forward motion to knock him off balance. It was a little trick she had learned while watching Kallian fight. Elissa whirled around and watched as he regained his balance, not waiting even a second before he lashed out his mace in a wide arch. It was a sloppy blow, and somehow she expected better from the old veteran. There was a steady stream of blood from his nose, covering the bottom half of his face, as well as the top of his armor in the gore. He smiled through the blood, looking like a ghoul, before going on the offensive again.

He gripped his mace with both hands, swinging it rapidly in a back and forth butterfly sweep, but he was much slower than Elissa's ability to dodge. She knocked the mace out of it's path with her sword before she pulled it back and made a quick slash at Howe's side. She made contact but only just barely before something smashed into her from behind, sending her sprawling right into Howe's clutches. He grasped her by both of her shoulders and threw her into one of the support beams that held the dungeon roof up. There was the horrible feeling of her bad ribs re-breaking at the impact, but she took this moment to analyze what had been happening around her.

Five of Howe's men already lay bleeding on the floor, one of them a mage. Soris and Oswyn were tucked out of sight, Daylen fighting out in front of them. They had some kind of shimmering cone around them, so Elissa figured that at least for now they were safe. Lelianna was grappling with a huge man that wielded a deadly looking two headed axe, and Alistair and Duran seemed to be stuck in the door way. It took her a moment to realize they were holding back more guards as they tried to flood the room. The sound of the battle must have alerted the fools who let them pass in the first place. And the guard that had knocked Elissa into Howe was already lying dead on the ground.

"You've gotten slow old man," Elissa said as she caught her breath and moved back into her predator saunter. Howe only seemed amused by this. "Come here and let a girl show you how it's done," She growled while hacking out across the armor of the older man. He moved back enough so that the blow only scratched the front of his armor. She swung the sword wide and arched it up and in, meaning to cleave the poor man in two, starting from his jewels and working up. Howe literally had to dive to the side to avoid being cut in two, catching the sword slightly on his inner thigh, opening up a sufficient wound. He had underestimated her, and now saw that he was going to pay for that with his life. He had taken everything from this damned women, why would she not just lay down and die?

The sound of roaring flames pulled both their attention though, looking to the door way that had suddenly burst into a huge sickly blue wall of fire. The guards that touched it, instantly turned to bone. She figured it was Daylen's doing until she saw the Witch of the Wilds out in the hall, killing of anyone foolish enough to face her. How did she even get in here? Elissa was going to pay for having her attention elsewhere though.

The mace came crashing hard into her side, knocking the wind out of her instantly, as her armor buckled and she was sent flying. She had a flash back to that day in the Frostbacks when she was crushed by a dragon. At least she had been unconscious for that pain. She fumbled at her chest piece with badly shaking hands. She needed to get it off, the metal had completely bent in, cutting into her side and making breathing nearly impossible. She just got the damn thing undone when Howe was standing over her, waiting to give the death blow to crush her skull. She held up her breastplate just in time to absorb most of the impact. The force sent her bones trembling though as it travelled though her body. If she hadn't gotten the block up in time, her head easily would have been smashed to bits.

She rolled to the side, and the dove forward and up onto her feet. Her body heavily objected to these movements now though, and her ribs were protesting strongest of all. She held a hand to her side, only to late to realize it was her sword hand, without her sword in it. Her eyes frantically searched the floor, but saw that the sword landed somewhere near the wall of fire. She would never get to it in time, and she knew this even as Howe was already charging back at her. In a suicidal attempt she ran at him, ducking low and grabbing his unarmed side, pulling him at the elbow and letting herself become dead weight. It miraculously worked as he completely lost his balance and was jerked violently to that side, and consequently the ground.

Elissa grabbed for the mace that had been knocked from Howe's grasp. They laid hands on it together, each trying to pull the weapon to him. She was not about to let go, even though his physical strength was greater, and she was almost getting shook around like a rag doll. It was becoming quite the gory sight as they wrestled on the ground for the mace. Howe's nose was still bleeding, as well as the gash on his thigh. Elissa was covered in the other man's blood, and her grip on the mace was becoming slick with it. Howe seemed to be losing strength though, his adrenaline not able to outlast his blood loss. It took his hands only loosening slightly to give Elissa the advantage. She struggled to her feet, while still keeping her grip on the mace, and yanked it out of his hands easily with the leverage on her side.

He was already grasping for a belt knife, when without thinking about, only fearing for her own life, she swung the mace, hitting Howe across the face, and laying him out on the floor. Everything became sickly silent then. Was it really over? Just like that? She looked around to see her companions were already tending to each other. Alistair sported a nice knot on his head, and Daylen seemed gray in color. None of Howe's men were alive, and the hallway was also littered with corpses. It looked like some kind of massacre. Elissa couldn't feel how bad her injuries were, in fact the only thing she felt was an icy numbness spreading through her whole body. Maybe the Guardian decided she could die after all.

Duran gently put a hand on Elissa's arm, and eased Howe's mace from her grasp. "It's over now girl, you fought well. The Arl is dead," he said, setting the mace aside.

The words didn't reach her ears though. As she looked down at him, she could only see everything else. She could see her father, with his sleeves rolled up, helping the boys repair the roofing after the big winter storms. She saw her mother, sitting in front of her vanity, singing lovely tunes and braiding her long hair for the day. She saw her brother and his wife, stealing kisses when they thought no one was paying attention, and her little nephew begging to go out horseback riding. Every man women and child that had lived with the Couslands could now rest easy, knowing the man that was responsible for their death now lay unfeeling on a cold stone floor, drowned in his own greedy blood.

"Elissa we should go," came Daylen's winded voice, and she knew the others did not want to linger here at the scene of the crime. She couldn't move though.

She saw Delilah at the summer festivals, pretty as a flower and surrounded by men. She saw Nathan coming in from a hunt with his bow slung over his shoulder, silent and foreboding as ever. There was Howe's wife, reading before the fire, in her own world like the rest of the world did not exist. And lastly there was Thomas, picking flowers and giving them to Elissa before dinner. Sparing with him, and the way he would always let her win. Tears filled Elissa's eyes as she felt like a monster. She looked at Howe, as the man who took everything from her, but like she had often thought about before, he had a family as well, and now Elissa just took a husband and father away from them. It didn't matter the circumstances, they would all look at her as the man who took their father's life.

She kneeled on the ground, slipping in the blood slightly, as she reached towards Howe's body. She nearly screamed as he rolled over, still somehow managing to hold onto life. His jaw was probably shattered, and it hung useless as blood poured from his mouth. He had rips in his cheek and his brow bone seemed to have collapsed. It was some sort of miracle that he was still holding on. Elissa scooted closer and grabbed his hand as she gently put his mangled head in her lap. He didn't struggled, he didn't try anything funny, he just stared up at her with his one good eye. She looked in that eye for some sign of remorse, some sign that he was sorry for what he did, and that he wasn't truly a monster. That maybe somewhere down deep he was a human who had let greed blind his path. He had killed his best friend for power, it had to be some sort of madness that drove him to that right?

There was a knife being pressed into her free hand. "Finish it," Duran said as he crouched next to her. Howe's one eye looked at the knife, and then back up at Elissa. It wasn't a panicked look, but one that let her know it was okay, that he too wanted her just to finish it.

She would never know for the rest of her life if he was sorry for what he did. She will never know if things could have been different then the horrific scene that was happening right now, but from those moments on, she carried no more burden with her. She could finally feel her family, safe at the Maker's side, minus her brother, who she knew was still out there somewhere. She finally felt at peace now, and thought that it was the most blessed thing she could ever feel. There was more danger ahead, she knew this. The archedemon would be no small feat, but her own personal quest was now complete. Everything was set back into balance. So she took the knife and pressed it gently to Howe's throat. "I forgive you," She whispered in his ear, and then plunged the knife deep into his windpipe, finally putting him out of his misery. She thought she felt him squeeze her hand, right before he died, and it was enough for her to think that he maybe would have said he was sorry if he could. Then again, she would never know.

The silence that followed seemed deafening, but eventually they all stood, and helped Oswyn and Soris stand as well. They didn't say anything, they didn't really need to. Lelianna lead the way up the stairs and through the halls of the house. Maybe it was the events of what just happened that had left them shaken, but someone should have noticed how still the house was. Someone should have noted the fact that there was no guards around, and that the deafening silence had continued throughout the house. When they reached Anora's room there was only a note there. It said that as soon as the barrier came down they fled, they feared for the Queen's safety, and would meet up at the Arl of Redcliffe's estates.

"I wouldn't want to hang around this place either," Morrigan said, no one still knowing how she got in here at all. "It feels like a crypt," She noted. Daylen made some remark about how he thought she would feel right at home, and received a cuff to the back of the head as they made their way to finally leave this place, which really was like a crypt now.

When they reached the doorway, it suddenly made sense why the house had been abandoned. Cauthrien stood there, with an entire squadron of soldiers. It seemed a bit overboard to the exhausted group, who obviously wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. The woman marched forward, very high and mighty, and declared that they were under the arrest for the kidnapping of Queen Anora, and the murder of Arl Rendon Howe.

"Will you go peacefully?" Cauthrien asked.

"Yes," Elissa answered to the shock of them all. Morrigan particularly glared at her, like she was about to turn into a viper and bite her head off, something that was entirely possible.

"I am not going to prison!" She cried indignantly, apparently one of the only ones who was up for the fight against all these soldiers.

"We don't want you," Cauthrien said, like the very idea of it was disgusting to her. "We only want the Wardens."

"And we will come, very quiet like, if you promise to let the others go," Elissa stated for all of them. Cauthrien nodded, showing her agreement to these terms, terms that she already planned on being made. Alistair whispered in Elissa's ear.

"Are you insane?"

Elissa turned around and addressed the group in her own whispers. "Let them take us. It will show the Warden's aren't after the monarchy, and it will win us favor. Let Morrigan and Lelianna can take Soris and Oswyn back to Eamon. He will know what to do," She hurried through her words, and then went to turn herself in to Cauthrien and the squadron. Duran followed her, and being the only one with real prison experience, cringed when the cuffs were slammed on his hands.

"I hope you know what you're doing girl," He warned Elissa.


	26. Escape from Fort Drakon

**Disclaimer: [See chapter one]**

**Author's Note: Well I bet nobody ever expected me to try and finish this story! Well you were wrong! I really want this story to complete itself since I worked so hard and long on it! My writing style has changed a bit since the last time I updated, so if you noticed a tempo change I apologize! I'm also rusty on my Dragon Age lingo, and am easing back into it! This story will see it's end, I promise! **

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**Chapter 24: Escape from Fort Drakon  
**

Elissa was pacing her cell like a feral beast. She had thought this was going to be a lot easier. They had been separated for one, or at least they were keeping Daylen somewhere separate and wouldn't tell them where. She heard them say though that he had blasted someone without using his hands, which scared them. There was also brief talk she heard about them cutting those hands off. Elissa thought by now that deep in the night Eamon would have come retrieved them and everything would be solved. It had now been two days, and if Duran worked out one more smart mouth remark about her stupidity in getting them into this mess, than she was going to kill him herself instead of waiting for the torturers to do the job. Oh and they had been tortured, all three of them and many times. She couldn't stand to hear the screaming, and her cell was in the same room where they tortured prisoners. This place was a hellish abyss and she was going to escape tonight. She had worked out a reasonable enough plan.

"Your making me tired pacing like that," Alistair said, eyes closed and leaning against the wall of his own cell. Elissa glared and told him to shut up. He missed it when she was the quiet and demure one. Something about killing Howe made her a stronger presence.

When the guard walked into the room, all three of them seemed to freeze. Who was going to be on the rack today? The cruel man never even took a proper schedule, he was random and vicious, and Elissa couldn't take another round at the whip. She would tell their plans she knew. His hand lingered on the bars by her cell door. That's when Elissa noticed the guard had changed, and this new man was staring at her half naked form in lust. It made sense, she was one of the only women kept in this prison. She saw her chance.

She made herself seem as weak and defenseless as she could. Men always loved a woman who seemed an easy target. She protruded her lower lip, and made her eyes fill with tears before she looked up at him. The man had a sadistic smile on his face as he unlocked the cell and came in to retrieve her. He made the mistake of taking her for a broken woman. As soon as he was close enough she lunged forward, wrapping her chained hands around his neck. He was shocked just long enough for her to throw her head forward and break his nose. She spun him around and pulled her chains tight across his throat. He lashed from side to side, and clawed at her hands. She used her weight and dropped back, completely leaning on the chains until she felt the man's neck snap. It wasn't what she was expecting, she had thought she would just choke him out, but this worked too. She dislodged herself from him and grabbed the keys off his belt loop, looking over at Duran and Alistair in their cells, both men wore a look of unconcealed astonishment.

"I think I might love you," Duran said, laughing at her own savagery. Alistair said nothing, just waited for her to let them out.

"We have to hurry and get to our gear, once we have weapons we will have to fight our way out," Elissa told them, and led them from the torture cells.

* * *

"Please sir! My baby ain't never met her da. He's gonna hang, and I seek no justice, I just want him to see his little one before the noose!" The sobbing woman said from the floor. Both guards looked on in disgust. Another prisoner's wife, begging to see her man one last time before he died. It was rather pathetic the amount of these they got a day. You would think the women of Denerim would stop marrying criminals. There was a hunched over old woman standing behind her, the prisoner's mother no doubt. One of the men rolled his eyes.

"Get off the floor!" He said, the woman rising and wiping at her eyes, bouncing the little bundle in her arms a bit closer.

"Captain what should we do with em?" The other guard asked as their captain entered the room. The man took one look at the two women and almost seemed to snarl.

"Forget your husband dear lady, worry more about the child."

"Please! Please just let him see his son before he died. The Maker would smile on you!" The woman said. The older lady behind her laughed.

"Oh yes the Maker," The woman cackled. "If you do not let us pass I will pray to him to strike you down for being more wicked then those you keep!"

"Settle down grandmother," The captain said. He knew he was going to regret it, but he allowed the women into the prison. Anything to stop the stupidity of it all.

Once the doors shut behind them the two women crept into the shadows. Lelianna threw her hood back and set her bundle on the floor, unraveling it and revealing the weapons that had been hidden within. Morrigan too shook of her disguise. The hardest part was getting into the prison, now came the fun part!

"They'll be in the torture chambers, no doubt they want to learn of what the Warden's and Eamon are planning," Lelianna told the Witch of the Wilds.

"Let us proceed then," was the reply, and the two women snuck through the first rooms in the prison. None really took notice of them. This place was a bustle of people, visitors, guards, priests. Nobody took notice to another pair of creeping shadows amongst the crowd. It was when they came to a heavily guarded room that they knew they would have to make themselves known. The door was thickly guarded, and it could only lead to the cells of the political prisoners, which the Warden's would be in no doubt.

The room was large and plain, stone walls and floor that were completely bare save the odd torch connected to the wall. There were six enormous platforms with ballistae on them, freshly ordered from Antiva by the marks on them. It was an easy enough plan to use the weapons against the guards. It came into both of the women's minds simultaneously, and only a look between them had to confirm it. Morrigan pointed to one in the middle and then the door, and then she pointed to one across the way and the cluster of guards that stood joking off to one side. Lelianna nodded and headed to the one across the way, while Morrigan took the one that was aimed carelessly at the door._ Fools_, she thought.

When she saw the little Orlesian girl in place, Morrigan fired the ballista, sending a huge air rushing sound through the room, and then a crash as it easily sailed through the thick wooden door, tearing it from its hinges and pulling some of the stones loose. The guards that had been standing by the door were either knocked to the ground or crushed under the debris that had flown in the crash. Seconds later the sounds came again as the other ballista was fired into the unsuspected guards. It hit the wall with incredible force, shaking loose parts of the ceiling that rained down on the guards.

The two women leapt from their perches and attacked those that were remaining. They heard a roar from the collapsed doorway. Lelianna turned, expecting more guards, but was shocked at seeing Duran storming through it, hammer raised and vengeance in his eyes. He was followed by Elissa and Alistair, swords raised. Morrigan burned the last of the guards alive and whirled on them angrily.

"Where is Daylen?" She asked.

"How did you get out?" Lelianna seemed to be asking at the same time, and all of them noticed how she was fussing over Alistair, though she tried to pretend she wasn't.

"Daylen is a mage, they kept him somewhere else, I never heard where," Elissa explained. They all looked over to Lelianna.

"What?" She asked.

"Well you are always the one that knows the secrets of places and has the plans," Alistair told her. The woman rolled her eyes, but she actually did have a clue where he might be. How had they managed before she came along?

"He is probably blinded and bound down in the dungeons," She said to them.

"Oh great, I'm sure he's loving that," Elissa said with an old guilt painting her voice. She will never forget how she allowed the man to be imprisoned before, the man who later risked his life to save hers.

"We are going to need to get out of here. The whole prison probably heard those ballistae. Morrigan and I should retrieve Daylen, you three need to get back to Eamon's. He has called the landsmeet, the lords should be here within the day," Lelianna announced.

"He called the landsmeet before I was even free? Seems odd," Alistair said.

"We've been trying to get in for days, in all kinds of ridiculous ways. If our latest attempt did not work I was simply going to start burning the place to the ground till we retrieved you," Morrigan put in.

"Are you sure you can manage getting Daylen alone?" Elissa asked them.

"I am sure, surprisingly we work well together," Lelianna assured her.

"Don't get used to the idea," The Witch of the Wilds warned. Lelianna just rolled his eyes, and the group split, Elissa sincerely hoping that they were right, and would be able to rescue Daylen. It was her fault that he was in prison again after all.

* * *

Daylen was pretty sure he was flying. Not positive, but he was moving and his feet weren't touching the ground. There was lots of screaming he couldn't register, and his eyes were only catching glimpses of things. He felt giddy when after what felt like hours, he saw the sky again. He must have finally been allowed to die

"I should have killed them all," A feral voice fumed. There was a cooling pressure applied to his face, and his vision cleared very slowly.

"Is he going to make it?" A softer voice asked, painted with worry.

"Yes he's going to make it," The first voice said dismissively. Morrigan's dark lines eyes swam into focus, and Daylen could honestly say he had never seen a more beautiful sight in all his life. He was still alive.

"I don't even want to know how you got me out," He croaked.

"Good, then I won't have to tell you," Morrigan said, but her face was painted with concern.

"Don't look now Lelianna, but I think the Witch of the Wilds has a heart after all," He said, looking over to the red head woman who had happy tears in her eyes.

"I've always had a heart you fool," Morrigan said in a huff. She looked at him at in the eye though. "I just don't waste it on silly things."

"Am I a silly thing?" Daylen asked with a lazy smile.

"Oh shut up," She said and helped him to sit up. It took some hilarious maneuvering to get him on his feet, but once he was handed his staff, which Morrigan had stashed for him, he was able to walk using it and her as support.

* * *

"Thank the Maker you all are alright," Eamon sighed and sank into an armchair. The entire company, minus Theron of course, was now sitting with him in the study. Even Riordan was there.

"What's happened since we were in there?" Daylen asked, rubbing a sore spot in his neck. He had to have a couple healing sessions with Wynne before he was fit again. It was Kallian that spoke up.

"We found out Arl Howe was selling elves as slaves out of the Alienage to the Tevinters. Sten, Faren and I scoped out the den and eradicated them, but it's definitely something we can use in the Landsmeet against Loghain. The man had to know that was happening," Kallian put forth.

"Also Bann Sighard said he would align with us for saving his son in the dungeon's of Howe's estates. A few of the other bannorns are going to follow suit," Eamon told them.

"What about Anora?" Alistair asked.

"She has informed me that she will stand with us, but don't trust her. She is Loghain's daughter after all, so I do not see her easily turning on her father," Teagan said.

"Even after all he's done to her? He's killed her husband, he locked her away," Alistair said.

"We would have a better claim to the throne if our prince boy married her. We would supersede Loghain automatically," Duran said.

"That's not a bad plan," Elissa stated, knowing how powerful of a political match they would make.

"That's a terrible idea! Not to mention I look like her recently dead husband!" Alistair said in a panic. Lelianna was paled slightly too by the idea.

"You would make an ideal match Alistair just think on it. She would take the responsibilities of a throne she already knows how to hold, and you will have Eamon advising you and helping bring this country back on track. We would have an undisputable claim over Loghain, everybody wins and is happy," Elissa tried to reassure him.

"I'm not happy!"

"He doesn't have to!" Lelianna piped up.

"Oh shove it Red we already know why you don't want him to, but this is about the future of this country. A future all of us have bled for. You could put a quicker and more efficient end to it boy. She's beautiful and strong willed, you could do a lot worse," Duran said. Elissa leaned forward and put on hand on Alistair's knee.

"It will be for politics Alistair, love has nothing to do with it. You will have your choice of beautiful women to fall in love with once you are king," She told him gently.

"How long do I have to think about it?" Alistair asked.

"Till the Landsmeet," Eamon said.

"That's in an hour," Alistair said in exasperation.

"You had better decide quickly then," Eamon told him.

* * *

**The battle of Denerim is coming up, and I have a hard time with action scenes, so please be patient while I work through it and write it! I will update again as soon as I am able! **


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